


Incognito

by spyder_m



Category: RWBY
Genre: AU, Character Death, F/M, Long-Distance Friendship, Meeting In Person For The First Time, Online Friendship, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Other future pairings possible
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2018-04-27 09:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 39,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5043808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spyder_m/pseuds/spyder_m
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaune was stuck in a rut, working a dead-end job and still trying to figure out what he wanted in life. Pyrrha was moving temporarily to Vale to do some promotional work for the Schnee Company, but also to escape the celebrity status she had attained in Mistral. The two have been friends for years, but are only now meeting in person for the first time. Arkos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Great work, Miss Nikos. Now hold that pose, I'm just going to get a few more shots."

Pyrrha smiled politely for the photographer, remaining composed underneath the blinding heat of camera flashes and studio lights; a gesture she had long ago perfected.

It was nothing new to her. As an accomplished athlete and record four time winner of the regional tournament in Mistral, Pyrrha was used to being the focal point of attention. It was hard not to see her face plastered on billboards throughout the city, or gracing the labels of different products.

Yet, even with the years she'd had to adjust, the constant attention made her feel uncomfortable.

While Pyrrha was talented, she didn't think of herself or her accomplishments as particularly important. She was proud of them, certainly, but she couldn't understand why she, of all people, been raised up on a pedestal, when there were people doing much more worthwhile things. Pyrrha wasn't a hero, she wasn't changing the world or saving anyone's life. She was just a regular, teenage girl. Or at least, she had been.

As the lights died down slowly after a moment, Pyrrha looked up at the photographer as they lowered their camera, who offered her a smile.

"Well done, Miss Nikos. You can take five for now."

Pyrrha released a low sigh of reflief, before stepping out from in front of the backdrop, moving around the various tripods and lights that had surrounded her. She walked slowly out of the studio and pulled out her scroll, grateful for the momentary lapse in her fast paced life.

While Pyrrha appreciated the admiration she received for her years of training and hard work, at the same time, she couldn't help but feel her celebrity status was a burden as much as it was a blessing.

As a teenager, growing through such a pivotal stage of her life constantly in the public eye had been difficult. Pyrrha found herself constantly surrounded by people of all ages admiring her, yet, in spite of this, she had grown up feeling lonely and isolated from her peers.

She couldn't remember the last time she had truly bonded with another person.

People were intimidated by her, and her status, tending to keep their distance, only daring to get so close to her. If she tried to strike up a conversation, they seemed nervous in her presence, stumbling over their words or avoiding eye contact entirely. Pyrrha tried to remain cheerful for her fans, yet it was becoming harder to supress the deep frustration and sadnessbuilding inside of her.

For the longest time, she had wanted to escape, a chance to start over fresh. Overcome by the desire to escape the loneliness her fame brought her, Pyrrha had ventured online, into the virtual realm. There, she could speak with other people as an equal. Anonymous, without any accolades, pre-conceived notions, or expectations attached to her name. She could be herself. Stripped away from the fame and success.

She had first joined a fan forum for X-Ray and Vav, a comic book series she had stumbled upon recently. In her day to day life, Pyrrha spent a lot of time on sets and in studios doing promotional work for sponsors or products, projects that involved periods of inactivity. As a fairly active person, Pyrrha found herself growing restless waiting, wanting to spend the time doing something, anything remotely productive. She had wanted to find something to keep herself occupied, so that she wasn't just sitting around. One on such occasion, she found an issue of X-Ray and Vav that had been left in the studio, possibly by another talent or crew member.

Though not familiar with the series at the time, Pyrrha saw it as a reprieve from her boredom, and was willing to engage in any activity that could pass the time.

As she read, she was pleasantly surprised, finding that there was something about the bright panels and quirky characters of the series that drew captivated her attention. She quickly became a fan, looking online for other issues and reading them, enraptured. She would follow the series over the coming days and weeks, eventually catching up to the latest arc.

It was on that forum that she met Jaune. Her first and closest online friend.

He was the first person she communicated with. The first one to welcome her when she made a post in the introduction section, someone she saw posting routinely on the boards, the mere sight of his avatar and username eliciting a bright smile from her. She enjoyed his care free attitude, and light-hearted humour. Their conversations were relaxed and easy, something she'd missed, and couldn't remember having had in a number of years.

Jaune treated her like a regular girl, because that was the only way he'd ever known her. As they'd grown closer, learning each other's names and identities, speaking with each other over video calls, it became that apparent that Pyrrha's fame did not stretch quite as far as the neighbouring kingdoms. For Jaune did not recognise her. He knew nothing of Pyrrha Nikos, the world class athlete, or even the Mistral Regional Tournament for that matter.

He only knew Pyrrha, a regular, teenage girl. So, she had played along, more than happy to accept the role.

While the online platform was able to provide Pyrrha with semblance of escape, it was only temporary. She could only break away from the reputation she'd gained in the real world for so long. Every day she would have to step back into her celebrity role, and return to masking her loneliness and unhappiness.

This brief exposure to a simpler only made Pyrrha crave it more. She wanted to travel somewhere where her name and face were indistinguishable amongst a crowd, even if just for a short time. Scanning through her email on her scroll, Pyrrha eyes were caught upon the messaged flagged and pinned at the top of the page. The escape she had always sought. Her electronic boarding pass for an air-ship to Vale.

She had been offered some work there on a major advertising project with the Schnee Company, which would require her to move away from Mistral a temporary basis.

The idea had been very tempting to Pyrrha. She had worked with the Schnee Company before and even had a good relationship with the company's heiress, Weiss, a girl who was around her age. She was probably the closest thing to a real life friend Pyrrha had.

It wasn't her past relationship with the company that convinced Pyrrha, though. Nor was it the opportunity to travel to a different region, somewhere where she wasn't as well known; although, the prospect certainly excited her. The main reason motivating her decision was different.

Pyrrha opened the message client on her scroll and began typing out a new draft. I still can't believe I'm leaving for Vale in three days, Pyrrha tapped out on the device. Her stomach fluttering with happiness and excitement. It won't be long until we finally get to see each other.

It was because Vale was Jaune's home.

.

It was stuffy in the storeroom of From Dust 'Til Dawn, the lack of windows limiting the room's fresh air and natural light. Still, Jaune didn't mind working there. He enjoyed the solitude, hidden away from his supervisor, and the customers, being able to work at his own place. He could stop between unpacking boxes and check his scroll, unnoticed.

Opening the device as it vibrated softly in his pocket, Jaune couldn't help but smile reading Pyrrha's message, the excitement she had felt when typing it out was clear and infectious. It was finally dawning on him. In just three days Pyrrha would be here. In Vale.

For a while it had seemed like this day could never possibly come. After years of speaking to her over forums and through Skype calls, they'd always talked about one day meeting up, but the distance and their real life responsibilities always made their plans difficult to act upon.He also wasn't entirely sure his stomach would last an entire trip to Mistral. He grew queasy just thinking about it.

It was lucky for him that Pyrrha had been offered a job in Vale and would be moving over soon.

I know,Jaune typed out in reply. I can't wait to see you! I'll make sure to give the grand tour of Vale.

He set the scroll down on the shelf beside him, knowing Pyrrha would be quick to message him back. She usually didn't initiate a conversation unless she was on a break from work and had time to kill. Sure enough, shortly after he had placed down the device it vibrated lowly again, alerting Jaune of her response.

I look forward to it. How's work?

Work is… work. Better now that I'm talking to you though. :)

"Hey Jaune," Ruby called, making him looked up from his scroll. She gestured to some boxes stacked neatly onto a flatbed trolley. "Mind give me a hand unpacking this new stock? If you're not too busy right now, that is." She joked.

"Sure," Jaune answered his co-worker with a grin, tucking his scroll away into his pocket.

Ruby had started working at From Dust til Dawn earlier that year. Noticing that she seemed to be having trouble fitting in, much like he had when he first arrived, Jaune befriended her, offering her the help he wished he'd always received. Though a little socially awkward at first, she came out of her shell more as they became closer and he learned that she was actually quite excitable and imaginative. It reminded him a lot of his younger sister back home.

Helping Ruby wheel the loaded trolley out from the storeroom and into the shop, the two began to unpack its contents onto an empty shelf.

"So, you know I'm leaving to start training at Signal next month, right?" Ruby asked as they worked.

"Let me think," Jaune deadpanned, stopping to stroke his chin as if deep in thought. "Yes, I do remember the three other times you told me this week."

"Hey, I'm just saying. They're going to notice a massive drop in productivity if you stay glued to your scroll all day." Ruby teased.

"Very funny," Jaune said, sticking his tongue out. "You and your wit will be sorely missed around here."

It was hard to believe that she would be leaving soon. It felt like only yesterday Ruby had mentioned she was applying. The time sure passed quickly.

Signal was the Recruitment Academy for Vale's Police force. Ever since she had been a little girl, Ruby had wanted to be a police officer, just like her mom, Summer, before her. While her mom's work had meant there were many times in her life where Ruby didn't get to see her, or was worried about her well-being, she still had a great admiration for her and wanted to follow in her footsteps.

Still young and somewhat naïve, Ruby had an incredibly romanticised view of working in law enforcement. She imagined herself being hero to the city and helping those in need, something that, unfortunately, wasn't always the case. Still, she had a dream she was pursuing, a clear sense of direction in her life. He wished he could be so lucky.

Ruby grinned toothily as Jaune placed his hand on her head, ruffling her hair warmly. He was happy for her, but part of him wished, selfishly, that she didn't have to leave. He was going to miss having her around.

"Don't waste your time worrying about me, though. Go out and achieve your dream. Become the hero that Vale's always needed."

Ruby watched her friend, her smile fading into a puzzled expression. She knew that Jaune was proud of her, and at heart, his words were genuine. Though she couldn't help but notice that odd tone that tinted them.

He must have been feeling insecure about himself, Ruby supposed. Even in the short time she'd known him, they'd grown close and Jaune had confided in her. He'd expressed worry that he was a failure, and didn't know what he was going to do with his life. All he wanted to do was make his family proud. Perhaps seeing one of his friends moving ahead of him, as he remained rooted and unmoving, was hard for him to swallow.

"Hey," She said, tapping him lightly across the arm, hoping to take his mind of those negative thoughts. "There's no need to bring the mood down. It's not like I'm leaving the Kingdom or anything; we'll still see each other all the time!"

"You're right. I'm sorry, Rubes. I didn't mean to rain on your parade. You should be proud."

It was true, after all. His friend was following her dream. He shouldn't be moping.

"Hey! I know," Jaune exclaimed suddenly. "We should have everyone get together and celebrate you starting at Signal."

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!" Ruby exclaimed, a bright smile returning to her face. "It'd been fun to hang out with everyone again."

"Cool. I'll let Ren and Nora know when I get home tonight. Maybe we can organise something for the weekend?"

"Yeah, that works." Ruby said. "Now, let's get back to work. Yang's picking me up today and I don't have to work over and keep her waiting. So no more slacking off. Got it, Arc?"

"Alright, alright. Fine." Jaune answered, with a grin.

.

"Remind me again why you thought it was a good idea to get a sectional?" Neptune grunted, trying to manoeuvre the awkwardly shaped section of couch up the stairs.

"It was at a garage sale, I got it for like practically nothing!" Sun answered from the other end. "Beggars can't be choosers, man."

"Huh. So what you save on the upholstery goes towards covering medical bills. I guess that's how they get you."

"Shut up. You- Argh!" Sun readjusted his grip. "You asked me to get a couch. I got us a couch."

"No, you got us three parts of a couch."

"How was I supposed to know this place didn't have an elevator?"

"Ugh. How about that time we checked it out, before we moved here?"

"I told you, I had to work -Shit! Warn me before you lower your side like that!"

"Just keeping you on your toes." Neptune laughed, setting the couch down. Sun arched a brown in confusion, but followed suit, lowering his end also.

Neptune gestured wordlessly to a bend in the stairwell. A sharp corner which the couch appeared too bulky to manoeuvre around.

"This is not going to work, is it?"

"Of course it will, we've just got to angle your side through first. C'mon, Neptune: pivot, pivot."

"I am not going through this with you again."

.

"So why didn't Jaune want to come with us?" Yang asked as she parked her motorcycle, Bumblebee, pulling her helmet off. Ruby stepped off after her.

"Jaune tends to get… motion sickness." Ruby answered carefully. It was a sensitive topic for him. "I don't know that he'd be able to handle your bike."

"Oh right," Yang rolled her eyes. "I guess I forgot who were talking about."

She fished her keys out of her pocket as they made their way into the lobby of their apartment building, carrying on with the conversation.

"Still, you and Vomit Boy sure make a good team. You seem pretty close." Yang said, teasingly. "Have you ever thought of… y'know."

"What?" Ruby asked, not following what Yang was insinuating.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Asking him out."

"Eww! No thanks." Ruby gagged. "I mean, I love Jaune, but not like that. He's my friend. He also told me once that I reminded him of his little sister a lot, so I'm pretty sure he feels the same way."

"Besides," she continued, pressing the call button for the elevator. "Even if I was interested in him; which I'm not; I'm pretty sure he has a girlfriend already, anyway."

"Really?" Yang asked sceptically, leaning her arm against the wall as they waited. "That scrawny goofball? I find that hard to believe."

"Why? He's been really nice to me. And once you get to know him, he can be pretty funny and smart. I mean, he is kind of dense sometimes, but he's really good with-"

"Aw, Ruby!" Yang cut off her sister's chattering. "That's so sweet! Are you sure you don't like him?"

"Yaaaaaang!" Ruby whined, slapping her across the arm.

"Heh, okay, okay. I'll stop. But seriously, what makes you think that?"

Ruby shrugged, as the lift doors opened and the door stepped inside. "He's always on his phone, texting someone. It's all he seems to do his break… and during work when he thinks no one's looking. He can come grumpy one morning, but if he gets a text, he's smiling and spacing out for the rest of the day. It doesn't seem like he's just talking with family or friends."

"Huh." Yang said, intrigued, as they stepped into the elevator. "So, how come you've never asked?"

"Not everyone is as open as you with talking about those kind of things, sis."

"Hey!" Yang protested, holding her hand over her chest in mock indignation. "I resent that."

"Sorry." Ruby flinched. "I didn't mean it like, that. It's just, you're more… sure of yourself, I guess. I wouldn't even know how to ask him something like that. Besides, it would be awkward to just straight out ask him if he has a girlfriend. I might give him the wrong idea."

"I guess you're right. You'll need to find out some other way." Yang said, before clenching her fists in a determined pose. "I'll just have to ask him myself."

"What?" Ruby cried. "No! Yang, that's not what I meant at all!"

"Too late, Ruby, you've got me interested. Besides, I want to see what kind of girl Vomit Boy is pulling."

Ruby huffed, folding her arms with a childish pout. She could tell there was no fighting this. Yang was stubborn. Once she'd made her mind about something, it was difficult to change it.

They stepped out of the elevator, once it stopped at their floor, walking down the hall to their apartment. Yang unlocked the door, finding the lights out and the apartment empty, just as they had left it in the morning. With a frown, Yang reached over to the light switch, illuminating the apartment.

"Isn't Blake back yet?" Ruby asked, moving into the apartment and looking around for their roommate.

"I guess not." Yang answered, turning to close the door behind her. "She finished worked early though, so she should be here any minute though."

.

"I think we're finally done." Neptune breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his sweating forehead with the back of his hand.

"Thank god for that". Sun leaned back against the wall opposite Neptune, sliding down slowly until he was sitting against the floor, the weight taken off of his legs.

"I don't see why Scarlet and Sage couldn't have helped us out with this move. It would've made things a lot easier."

"I'm sure they could've, they just didn't want to make the trip all the way from Mistral." Neptune said, shrugging.

"Oh sure, they say that now, but I bet they'll be asking for help when it's their turn."

"I could use a shower, and then we should check out the neighbourhood." Neptune said, walking back into their new apartment. "We celebrate our new place, see what the fish are like in this part of the sea."

"Is that all you think about, dude? Girls? Honestly, you're-" Sun trailed off, the words dying on his lips as he caught a flash of black from the corner of his eye.

Turning, he saw a young woman walking down the hall, her bright, yellow eyes stared downwards, trailing over a page of the book she held loosely in her hands. Oddly, she walked at a brisk pace, without looking up, too engrossed in her book. However, she navigated the hallway flawlessly, her long dark swaying behind her and hips sashaying. It was as if she was relying entirely on muscle memory rather than her senses.

"Sun?" Neptune called from the doorway, noticing his friend hadn't followed him in.

Brought back to reality at the sound of his name, Sun looked up. Neptune extended his hand out to Sun, who was still sitting, leaning against the wall.

"Don't tell after all that work you're just gonna stay out in the hall?" Neptune smirked. It wasn't like his friend to be all spacey.

Smirking back, Sun clasping Neptune's outstretched hand and moving back to his feet.

"You know, I have a feeling I'm really going to like this place." Sun said, stepping through the door with a grin.

Neptune just watched him, his eyebrows furrowing, puzzled.

.

"Hey guys," Jaune called as he kicked the door to his apartment closed, his arms full of grocery bags. "I'm back."

"Jaune!" Nora cheered, leaping from her spot on the couch and racing over to him. She pranced onto the tips of her toes, grasping her taller friend's shoulders as words spilt from her mouth in a flurry.

"Did you get it? Did you get it?"

"Wow, easy there Nora. Hold on." Jaune said, moving quickly to place the bags onto the counter. Given Nora's exuberance and his clumsiness, it was best to set them down before they ended spilling everywhere. Reaching into one of the bags he produced a tall bottle of syrup.

"Yes! You're the best Jaune!" Nora exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him.

"Hey, I do what I can-"

He trailed off as Nora pulled the top off the syrup and began drinking from it deeply.

"How was work?" Ren asked, moving into the kitchen and doing his best to pry the, now half empty, bottle from his friend's hands.

"So-so." Jaune answered with a shrug, slipping out of his jacket and dropping his keys onto the counter. "Ruby's gonna be leaving in a couple of weeks to start her training in Signal."

"Yeah, you told us that yesterday."

"She brings it up a lot, she's pretty excited. I was thinking we should have everyone over on the weekend. Y'know, to celebrate Ruby starting her training and all."

"Like a party?" Nora asked, perking up at the idea. Beside her, Ren cringed.

Jaune had known it wouldn't be difficult to sell Nora on the idea. Convincing Ren, however, was where the challenge lay. It went without saying that he was a particularly introverted guy and while he enjoyed the company of their friends, he wasn't fond of the effort, noise and mess that were typical of parties.

"More of a get-together, really." Jaune answered, choosing his words carefully. "After all, it'd just be the six of us. Ruby and Blake aren't exactly party animals. We'll just be hanging out."

Ren continued to eye him sceptically, without a word. Jaune laughed nervously. He could tell Ren still wasn't convinced.

"I'll clean up?" He offered. Ren raised an eyebrow at him, the slightest hint of a smirk pulling at his lips at Jaune's poor attempt to sweeten the deal.

"Come on, Ren. We're doing this for our friend, Ruby." Jaune said, realising he was going to need to bring out the big guns. "We're really going to miss her. Right, Nora?"

Jaune exchanged a knowing look with Nora, who immediately caught on with a sly smile. Ren's impassive expression faltered, his eyes widening in worry as he realised where this was going.

"Yeah Ren. Can't we have a party for Ruby?" Nora said, looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "Please?"

Jaune sniggered, watching beads of sweat break out on Ren's head as he tried to remain resolute. Ultimately though, Jaune knew it was a hopeless fight. Ren could never refuse his best friend. With a long, defeated sigh, he finally relented.

"…Fine."

"Alright!" Jaune and Nora cheered, pumping their fists in the air.

"That settles it then." Jaune said, taking out his scroll and writing a group message. "I'll let everyone know it's official."

"Don't worry, Ren, it'll be fine. When have we ever led you astray before?"

"Well-"

"Actually, you know what. Don't answer that."

"Alright, it's all taken care of." Jaune said, clicking the send button on his scroll. "I'll talk with you guys more about this when they get back to us. If you need me, I'm just going to be in my room for a bit."

"Where are you going? To talk with your girlfriend?" Nora asked, drawing out the last word teasingly. Jaune flushed.

"She's not my-" Jaune protested, his voice a much higher octave than normal. Clasping his hand over his mouth, embarrassed, Nora snorted and Ren broke into a grin.

"You know what, never mind." Jaune grumbled, walking into his bedroom and closing the door behind him.

"Oh, come on Jaune. Don't be like that. We were just kidding."

Slumping into his desk chair with a sigh, Jaune blissfully stretched out his aching legs and lower back.

Glancing up at his monitor, Jaune grabbed his mouse and guided his cursor over the Skype icon on his desktop. With a click, his friends list was pulled up on screen. His stomach fluttered, a small smile pulling across his lips as he noticed that Pyrrha was online.

Jaune had grown up awkward and unsure of himself, finding it difficult to make friends. He'd tried to feign confidence, having been told by his father that it was a trait people; particularly girls; admired. Most, however, could read through Jaune's bravado, seeing him for the bumbling, anxious teenager he really was. To this day, he only really had a small group of friends outside of his own family; Ruby, Ren, Nora, Yang and Blake.

He had gravitated to forums most of his life, as making friends online just came more comfortably to someone like him, who lacked confidence. Unfortunately, there was a stigma that surrounded those relationships forged online, a belief that because two people hadn't ever interacted in person, their friendship couldn't possibly be as a real or as strong. It was something Jaune had always thought was ridiculous. As close as he was to Ruby, Ren and Nora, Pyrrha was probably his best friend. No matter how dull his day may have been, no matter how much he may have felt like a loser stuck in a dead-end job, or that his life was going nowhere, speaking with Pyrrha always made him feel so much happier and comfortable with himself.

For Jaune social media and online communication was a blessing. It had become a gateway enabling him to become close to someone emotionally and mentally, while remaining physically so far apart. Pyrrha, someone who, at different point in space or time, he may have never even had the opportunity to meet. He could interact with like-minded people from all the Kingdoms of Remnant, and forge relationship he may not be able to with those in his immediate surroundings.

Hovering over Pyrrha's icon, he clicked the call button, an image of her face appearing on screen as she answered the call.

"Hey," he said warmly, his face lighting up.

"Hello again," she answered brightly, waving to the camera.

"This may be the last time we see each other like this." He said, glancing directly into the camera, and catching her eyes. They were a vibrant green, so vital and full of life. Just like her. If they appeared this captivating through his low quality monitor, he could only imagine what they would look like in the flesh. "I can't believe that you're going to be in Vale soon."

"Me either." She smiled shyly. "I'm really looking forward to finally seeing you."

"I am too."

"So… How was your day?"

"It was alright." Jaune shrugged. "I mean, work kind of sucked, but my friend Ruby was there to help out, so it wasn’t so bad in the end."

"I’m glad to hear it. It’s nice that you have friends to work with." Pyrrha nodded. Though Jaune couldn’t help but feel her voice had been tinged by the slightest hint of sadness. He frowned, wondering if there was something troubling her. 

"How about you, how was your day?"

"Well," Pyrrha began, looking to her lap. "It was fine, I suppose."

"You suppose? Is there anything you want to talk about?" Jaune asked, already having an idea of what her answer would be.

Pyrrha's work was always a subject she tip-toed around when talking with him, answering questions about it carefully. The most she'd ever told him was that she worked in media. The details weren't that important to Jaune, but a part of him was concerned that she was hiding something from him. It must have been a sensitive subject, something she wasn't comfortable talking about.

Jaune hoped that, if there was something troubling her, she'd one day be able to talk to him about it. Maybe meeting in person would change that, allow them to reach a new intimate stage in their friendship. He only wanted to help to her.

"That's nice of you, Jaune," Pyrrha answered eventually. "But it's alright. I'd rather just try and put it behind me."

"Okay, Pyrrha. If you say so." Jaune said. There was a part of disappointed that she still didn't trust him quite enough to open up about what was bothering her, but he would respect her wish.

"Just remember though. If you ever do have something that's bothering you, or you just need to vent. I'm here for you. You've helped me through a lot before, and it's only fair that I return the favour."

"Thank you, Jaune" Pyrrha said, with a smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Anyway," Jaune said. "I was thinking of playing some World of Remnant tonight. You wanna get in on that?"

"Why, that sounds grand."

"Great," Jaune said, picking up the controller to his Grimmbox. "Just give me a moment to get set up."


	2. Chapter 2

Bright lights flickered across an otherwise darkened room, a tangle of bodies manoeuvring around the crowded dance floor. The low, repetitive thud of bass rung in his ears like an erratic pulse, coursing throughout his entire body. Neptune leant back against the upholstery of his seat, his fingers brushing over his hair. He glanced down at his watch, momentarily, with a sigh. It had been almost thirty minutes since Sun had gone to get drinks for them, leaving Neptune all by himself.

Neptune grit his teeth in frustration, his patience wearing thin. Sun had assured him it wouldn't take long, yet here he was, sitting in awkwardly in a club, in an unfamiliar city, surrounded by strangers.  _What the hell is keeping him?_  Neptune wondered. He hoped Sun hadn't tried to walk off without paying; as he was sometimes prone to doing; and gotten kicked out, or something. Exhaling lowly, Neptune sat up, resting his chin against his hand.

Admittedly,  _Junior's_ did seem like a pretty cool place. He and Sun hadn't had to spend much time looking for the club, they could  _hear_ it. It was actually within walking distance from their new place. Sun had been pretty eager to check it out, though Neptune had felt kind of tired after their day of moving and just wanted to relax somewhere, not really having the energy to brave a club. Though, and he probably wouldn't admit it aloud, he was more likely discouraged by the fact there would be  _dancing_ , something that wasn't exactly his forte. Neptune shuddered at the mere thought. Sun, however, had managed to convince him, reasoning that it was pointless to roam the entire city looking for somewhere else when this place was right there.

Glancing around the room for his friend; a task made exceedingly difficult by the plumes of smoke and flashing strobe lights; Neptune's caught sight of two girls walking in his direction. Pretty cute ones, too. They were dark-haired, about the same height and had similar looking faces. Their only real distinction was their dress; one was in red and had her hair cut short, while the girl was wearing blue, with hair falling to her waist.

Neptune smiled softly to himself, his mood suddenly lifting, as he forgot all about drinks and dancing and lying, asshole roommates. He suddenly remembered why he had been so eager to go out and explore the town in the first place.  _Twins, nice,_ he thought with a sly grin _._  It was time to turn on the charm.

"Ladies," Neptune said, pointing his fingers into the shape of a gun and winking flirtatiously as they passed him.

The pair rolled their eyes, looking to one another with bored expressions. The girl in red beckoned towards the dance floor with her head and her twin nodded silently, before they walked off without so much as answering him. Shrugging, Neptune lounged back into his seat, folding his arms behind his head.

"Nice job there, lady killer."

Surprised, Neptune glanced over his shoulder at the feminine voice calling to him. His eyes meet a tall, blonde woman around, her lips curled into a smirk. The expression was teasing, almost challenging, one that Neptune couldn't help but mirror.

"Whatever." He answered. "They weren't worth my time anyway."

"Oh really?" She asked, grinning smugly and folding her arms beneath her chest. "Is that why you're sitting here all by yourself?"

In spite of the playful dig at his expense, Neptune smiled, thankful for the conversation. At least now, he wouldn't have to pretend to message people on his Scroll so that he wouldn't look like a complete loner. There was a pretty girl talking to him. Neptune made, what he hoped, was a subtle movement further down the bench, allowing room for her to sit should she choose to.

"Actually, for your information, I'm just waiting here for a friend." Neptune answered, a light-hearted indignity in his tone. "Although, I am starting to think he may have ditched me."

"Aww, poor baby." The woman cooed, as she moved in closer, silently accepted his offer to sit across from him. "You're not from around here, are you? I mean, I've never seen you in this club before."

"You could say that, yeah. I actually just moved here today."

"Really? From where?"

"Mistral."

She whistled lowly.

"Damn. That's quite the trip. I'm surprised you even have the energy to be out this late."

"Well, we wanted to celebrate our new place, y'know, see what this town has to offer."

"Seems like a pretty lame celebration. You're not even going to dance with everyone else?"

Neptune swallowed, his eyes glancing down at his feet as he fumbled for an answer. This was going well, he didn't want to admit to her couldn't dance. That wasn't cool! She didn't seem to pick up on his hesitance, as she stood back to her feet, extending her hand out and gazing at him expectantly.

"Uh- Well, I…"

"Neptuuuune!" Came the boisterous, slightly slurred call of his friend, drawing the attention of the all people immediately around him. Sun staggered out from the crowd, moving unsteadily towards Neptune. "Hey buddy, I finally found you."

"Sun?"

"Huh." The woman said across from him, glancing over shoulder. "I take it that's your friend?"

"Unfortunately." Neptune answered with a sigh, turning back to Sun as he approached them. "Dude, what took you so long?"

"Sorry. I was hic- preoccupied with something."

Sun stumbled over his own feet and threw an arm around Neptune's shoulder. Neptune couldn't tell if the gesture was meant to be affectionate or he was genuinely trying to keep himself from losing his balance. He caught sight of an empty shot glass in Sun's hand. Probably the latter.

"Boy, somebody can't hold their liquor," the blonde quipped, agreeing with Neptune's assessment.

"Jesus, you're already wasted. How many of these have you had?"

"Only like three…" Sun answered, his voice lowering to a playful whisper, "…plus ten."

"You paid for all of those, right?"

"Geez, who are you, my mother?" Sun said. He pushed himself away from Neptune and began yanking on his tie, eventually pulling it loose. "Ah, that's better. Stupid neck trap."

His hands reached for the hem of his shirt, starting to undo the buttons. Across from him, the blonde widened her eyes in surprise, before a suggestive grin crossed her face as she admired the flashes of Sun's toned flesh.

"Sun, what are you doing?" Neptune exclaimed, grabbing his arm and stopping him. "You're not in Vacuo anymore. You can't just go prancing around shirtless. There are dress codes. You're gonna get kicked out."

"Whatever man, they don't scare me! I'm not some conformist, I'm an individual." Sun exclaimed, before staggering over again, Neptune just managing to catch him in time.

"Well, I should probably get this guy home before he does anything too crazy." Neptune said to the blonde as he began to guide his friend towards the exit. "Thanks for talking with me, though."

She nodded in understanding, but watched Neptune as he left, a hint of concern lingering in her eyes.

"You gonna be alright getting him there by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll be fine. We don't live that far from here anyway."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. We just moved into that new building down the street."

"Really?" She asked, chuckling softly with a shake of her head. Neptune rose an eyebrow, curious as to what stirred this reaction from her. "Well, I'm surprised we didn't run into each other earlier then."

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" Neptune asked.

"I live in that building too. I've been there for a while now, actually."

"You don't say?"

"You know what? I think I'll tag along with you – we're going the same way after all."

"Are you sure? You don't have to leave on our account."

"It's cool. I should probably get back before my sister and roommate start worrying. Besides, it's a weeknight. They're going to have to close up pretty soon otherwise they'll be getting noise complaints." Yang said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, okay. Well, lead the way, I guess." Neptune said, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him. She smiled, peeling slowly away from the darkened recesses of the club and towards the exit, the cacophony of bass and synth steadily dying down. Neptune lagged behind her, the weight of his friend slowing his pace considerably.

"By the way," Neptune called, as she held the door open for him. "I never got your name."

"It's Yang." She said, giving a sly smirk while he passed her.

"Oh. Well, hey Yang. I'm Neptune, this is Sun." Neptune said, gesturing his head towards his half-conscious friend who gave a lazy wave. "I guess you knew that already though."

He would have offered to shake her hand, but he was worried Sun might keel over, if he let him go. Noticing this, Yang oped to move in and pat him across the shoulder.

"Nice to meet ya, neighbour."

.

Blake set her book down with a huff, unable to concentrate over the noise coming from outside her apartment. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't drown it out. She'd closed the window, managing to cut out most of the loud, repetitive music, but couldn't do much about the obnoxious voices carrying down the street as the club's inebriated patrons staggered home, tripping over themselves and trying to hail taxis. That was the problem with living down the road from a popular, local night club, though admittedly, it did have its perks: the rent on their place was  _very_ cheap.

Yang had gone out earlier and Ruby was already in bed for the night, tired after a hard day of work. While she enjoyed the company of the two sisters, Blake was thankful for the momentary solitude and had planned to take advantage of it. After making herself some tea and settling down for the evening, Blake had looked forward to finally starting on the book she'd brought back from Tukson's earlier that week. Unfortunately, it seemed like fate had other plans.

Sighing in defeat, Blake closed her book and set it down on the coffee table. She'd just have to wait. It was a weeknight and getting late, so the club wouldn't be allowed to stay open much longer. Once it closed, she'd be able to sit and read in peace.

Blake didn't normally watch a lot television, preferring to read, but she supposed it could help her to kill some time. Picking up the remote, she turned on the television, watching the black screen slowly flicker to life. The room was filled with a stoic voice, the picture displaying a professionally dressed woman staring directly into the camera. It must have been a late news program. None of this registered to Blake, however, as she froze upon hearing the newscaster's voice. Her eyes stopped, transfixed on the monitor, overwhelmed by the sight of the white and red logo forming a Beowolf's head that graced the screen.

_"Members of the radical animal rights activist group the White Fang were taken into custody last evening for their suspected involvement in a plot to destroy several train carts owned by the Schnee Company. The three were allegedly planning to rig the carts with live explosives and detonate them during a routine run through Forever Fall._

_This is just one of many violent acts by the activist group we have been seen over the past few weeks, all of which have been targeted at the Schnee Company. Members of the White Fang have decreed these attacks are a protest against what they believe to be the Schnee's involvement in mining operations which are destructive to the natural habitats of Grimm. This recent activity has led to a significant increase in the number of law enforcement officers overseeing their rallies_ ,  _with many of them breaking out into violence-"_

Blake felt her heart thumping unsteadily against her chest, her fingers clutching in a tense grip around the remote as the story continued. She wanted nothing more than to switch off the television, to block out the noise blaring from it and pretend that she hadn't heard anything, but a cruel, curious part of her was drawn to it.

Even if she could summon the strength to turn it off and push out the last once of presence they had in her life, Blake knew it wouldn't change anything. Her history had already been written, her involvement with the White Fang couldn't be undone. They were still out there. They were still out there, committing horrific crimes, sullying the cause she had once fought for. The past she had tried so desperately to escape was still steadfast in its chase. Following her, clinging to her. It awoke memories of that night in Forever Fall, the mission she had gone on with him. It was on that day, that she sworn she would never be part of the White Fang again. Her first exposure to the group's new violent regime enacted under their new leader. It was the first time she'd seen her partner's true nature, a part of him she could have never even imagined existing. Something callous, uncaring to the lives of others. Intent only on sending a message. Someone, she feared, who would only cause harm, rather than good.

Blake had always admired Adam. For all she knew, she might have even had feelings for him. He was a man who had helped her, mentored her, and given her life a purpose. She had always thought that he was someone she could trust. Yet, on that day, a rift had formed between them.

It shouldn't have surprised her, really. She had noticed a gradual change in Adam over her time in the White Fang. The frustration he felt over their failure to spread their message and make an impact through their protests had been getting to him. Adam had grown tired of their numbers being overlooked and had decided to act, to lash with a message that no one would be able to ignore. The rallies had escalated to a point where their true purpose seemed like it had become lost. It was no longer about conveying a message, and trying rationally to reach a mutual understanding. It had become about forcing and intimidating others into submission, strong-arming them to support a cause. Blake didn't want to hurt anyone. She didn't want to control people through fear.

She couldn't adhere to their stances anymore. So she left without a word, without so much as a goodbye. But mostly, without having to regret her involvement, without having to clean blood from her hands.

Still, Blake couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she had stayed. What would have become of her? Would she still be herself, or have eventually succumb to the same frustration and hatred that had consumed Adam, completely changing him? Would she be going out on dangerous missions, taking part in violent rallies?

Would she be trying to take another person's life?

"Blake?"

Startled by the abrupt voice, Blake's jolted upright. The television faded into darkness, the remote control falling from her grasp as if it had seared her skin. Ruby stood in front of bedroom doorway, watching Blake through misty, slightly unfocused eyes, her expression confused.

"What are you still doing up?" She asked, her hand dangling in front of her mouth to stifle a yawn.

"N- Nothing, I was just-"

Moving closer towards the couch, Ruby placed a hand on her friends shoulder, examining her face closely. Blake tried her best to appear calm, but from the heat collecting in her face and ragged breaths rocking her body, she knew that her expression would betray her.

"Are you alright? You look a little freaked out."

"I'm fine, Ruby. I told you, it's nothing." Blake insisted, doing her best to offer a weak, strained smile. She stood to her feet, retrieving her book from where she had left it on the coffee table, noticing that the noise from the club outside had died down. Passing her as she moved towards her own room, Blake brushed a hand through Ruby's hair, the touch affectionate and, she hoped, reassuring. A soft smile crossed over Blake's face, this time appearing much more sincere. She appreciated her friends concern, she truly did. But she couldn't get her involved in this. Not Ruby, not Yang, not any of her friends. Her past needed to remain behind her.

As her hand rested upon the door to her room, Blake glanced over her shoulder, speaking gently.

"Go back to sleep, Ruby. I'm sorry, if I disturbed you."

Ruby frowned as she watched Blake close her door, a frustrated sadness clenching at her throat. First Jaune, and now Blake? She couldn't understand what was going on, and why her friends were acting so distant around her. They had both seemed so distressed, so clearly in need of support, but reluctant to reach out and accept her help, even when she offered it. Did they just not trust her? Or was it because they she was too young and naïve to really help them? Surely, that couldn't be the case. After all, she wasn't that much younger than them, and Ruby liked to think that she was mature for her age, at least when the situation demanded. She had been moved up a couple of years in high school when she was younger and had grown up interacting with older kids. But even if it was an issue that was too far beyond her level of understanding, surely she make a difference just by being there for them, giving them someone to listen.

What exactly were they hiding from her?

.

_"Thank you for agreeing to work with us on this project, Pyrrha. I'm sure there are a lot of companies who would be eager to have a strong, well-known individual such as yourself representing them."_

_"Oh please, it's my pleasure." Pyrrha answered, smiling gentle to the woman on the screen before her. She could herself flushing sub-consciously over Weiss' words._

_Normally, such praise wouldn't phase Pyrrha, and she tended to drown most of it out. Though it was something she received on a regular basis, more often than not, the words always felt recycled and never genuine. They were meaningless to her._   _Though, Weiss' words seemed to have a lot more merit to them. Weiss had never come across as intimidated by Pyrrha, nor had she ever tried to place her on a pedestal. Instead, she genuinely seemed to respect Pyrrha and her talent. Her admiration felt so much more real._

_Though they didn't know each other particularly well, Pyrrha felt Weiss was one of the few people she could hold a genuine conversation with, and someone that she could relate too. Being the heiress to such a powerful, global company, Pyrrha suspected that Weiss may not have been all that different from her. They both had been thrust into difficult positions at a young age, living under pressure and public scrutiny every day. They had image to uphold, and to consider be wary of themselves, never once stepping out of line._

_They could empathise with and understand one another._

_Pyrrha wondered if Weiss had had difficulty making friends in her life too._

_"Well, while you're here," Weiss said, breaking Pyrrha from her reverie. "If you don't mind, father asked if he could perhaps speak with you for a moment."_

_"Oh no, I don't mind at all."_

_"Great. If you could just wait one moment. I'll transfer the call through to his office."_

_"Okay," Pyrrha answered, the image of Weiss before eventually fizzling into static, replaced soon after by one of her father._

_Weiss' father, much like a lot of the Schnee family, was a rather stern individual. His eyes a cold, steel blue bore through Pyrrha as if silently measuring and scrutinising her. Pyrrha felt herself fidget unconsciously under his gaze, as if double checking she was presentable. Normally, not one to be easily intimated, she couldn't help but slightly unnerved. He regarded her curtly with a nod of his head._

_"Miss Nikos."_

_"Mr Schnee." Pyrrha replied, with a soft bow of her head. She smiled nervously, relaxing into the conversation. "Thank you again for the opportunity, sir. I won't let you down."_

_"Indeed. I suppose you might be curious as to we chose to hire you for this job?"_

_Pyrrha blinked, confused by the rather abrupt question. In all honestly, Pyrrha hadn't really given it too much thought. She assumed her had considered her on her past work their company. She suspected her relationship with Weiss may have influenced the decision as well. She answered with a nod regardless, curious as to where he was going._

_"Well, I take it you have been following the news over the past few days, Miss Nikos?"_

_"Why, yes sir. I have been."_

_"Good. Then you may now that our image has been suffering as of late. We've been under criticism by the White Fang, who believe that the manufacturing of our products are detrimental to the environment, and more specifically, the surrounding animal habitats. Because of the White Fang's attacks on our company, people are reluctant to become involved with us. We've been losing sponsorships, partnerships have been falling through, and people are less inclined to buy our products. They are afraid that being associated with us may lead to them suffering to the same fate."_

_Pyrrha had seen the reports. They had been hard to miss, considering the significant coverage they had received in the media. In-depth accounts of the White Fang damaging Schnee property or stopping shipments from reaching different kingdoms across Remnant had been featured routinely, often at the top of news bulletins. Yet, with each story Pyrrha noticed a trend, a tendency to shy away from the issue at hand. Not a single one of them addressed the claims made by the White Fang. None presented any evidence to support, or even dismiss, the argument that the Schnee Company were damaging the environment and harming animal life in the progress._

_"We felt it would be beneficial to our public image if we hired a spokesperson for our company. Someone admired and respected by the public. My daughter suggested you._   _With the work you've done for brands like Pumpkin Pete's, we felt your image is one that people have come to know and trust. Attaching your name to our company, and reminding the public of the services we have provided them for years, may finally give us that same luxury once again."_

_Pyrrha genuinely wanted to know, were there any truth to the claims? Because she wasn't sure who to believe. The White Fang were an extremist group with a number of the members being charged for involvement in terrorist activity. Frankly, she wasn't sure they were the most trustworthy source. Having said that, there must have been something that drove them to perform such violent acts. Would those members really have gone so far and risked so much of their own livelihood if their cause wasn't rooted in some form of truth?_

_On the other side, it would only make sense that the Schnee Company would deny something so potentially damaging to their reputation, regardless of whether or not it was the case. No company would want to be associated with such a scandal. If it were true, Pyrrha didn't know that she would be able to continue working with the Schnee Company. Boldly, Pyrrha spoke up, deciding to ask the Schnee head directly._

_"So, are you saying that there is no truth their claims?" She began. "The Schnee Company are not involved in any operations that could be damaging to the Grimm's natural habitats?_

_"I can assure, Miss Nikos, those claims are indeed completely unfounded. I think I speak on behalf of everyone within this company when I say that we wouldn't dare to commit such an atrocity."_

_She couldn't imagine Weiss' family being capable of doing something so heinous. They weren't bad people. A little strict, perhaps, but certainly not_

_"Alright, sir. I believe you."_

_"Thank you again, Miss Nikos. I am glad you understand. We look forward to working with you."_

_._

"Morning guys," Jaune said through a yawn, stumbling blindly out of his bedroom. It was morning, Ren and Nora were already up, not surprisingly. They usually woke up first. Nora, because she was a bundle of endless child-like energy and Ren… Well, he was more than likely awake against his wishes. Probably because Nora was hungry, if the way he was currently hunched over the stove was any indication.

"Jaune!" Nora greeted cheerily. Ren looked over his shoulder, his eyes slightly bleary, and gave a lazy wave. "How nice of you to join us. Want some breakfast?"

"That's alright, I'll fix something myself." Jaune answered, moving into the kitchen and rummaging through their pantry. "It'd probably be best if I didn't trouble Ren right now."

"Suit yourself," Nora shrugged as Jaune fished himself out a box of cereal and a bowl before sitting at the table across from Nora.

"So, I made sure everyone else had the weekend free for this get-together for Ruby." Jaune said, pouring milk onto his cereal. He was still careful about not using the word party. "It'll be cool for the seven of us to hang out."

"Wait, seven? Where do you get seven from?" Nora asked, and Jaune froze, spoon raised halfway to his mouth.

"Uh," Jaune drawled, realising suddenly he'd said too much. He'd actually planned on inviting Pyrrha to Ruby's party and introducing her to all his friends. He just hadn't told anyone yet. It was a little… embarrassing.

"Y'know, all of us. The gang." Jaune tried to cover, hoping Nora wouldn't notice.

"That's only six." Ren chimed from the kitchen. "Us, Blake, Yang, and Ruby, of course."

"Right," Jaune answered, gritting his teeth. Apparently Ren wasn't tired enough to miss his slip-up.

"Well, I was kind of hoping I might be able to invite someone else. Another friend, of mine."

"Someone else? Who?" Nora asked, eyeing him sceptically.

"Well, you see. I've got this friend who's coming over from Mistral on the weekend and I'm going to meet up with her." Jaune explained, keeping his gaze lowered. "She's never been to the city before, and I'm worried she might be lonely. I thought she might like to come with us."

"Her? Mystral? Wait a minute, are you talking about the girl you know online?" Jaune winched as Nora's voice gradually rose in pitch and volume. How could such a small person produce so much noise?

"Nora! I keep telling you it's nothing like that."

"Oh come on, dude! Give me something to work with here."

"But there's nothing to work with, really! She's my friend. You better not bring any of this up while she's here, I don't want you weirding her out."

"What are you talking about? Me? What could I possibly do that would weird her out?"

"Jaune, Nora, please." Ren said, holding up his hands in surrender. Living with such hot-blooded friends could be difficult at times. "Can you two please not do this so early in the morning?"

Nora folded her arms, looking away from Jaune with a pout. Ren sighed, turning the heat on the stove down to a simmer as he faced his friends.

"Don't worry, Jaune. I'm sure everyone will make your friend feel more than welcome."

"Alright, here you go, Nora." Ren said, moving over to the table with a large stack of pancakes. He placed them before her. "Can I please go back to bed now?"

"Yay!" Nora cheered, throwing her arms tightly around him. "Thank you Ren!"

Pulling back from the embrace, Nora flushed as her eyes met Ren's and she realised how close they were. Glancing away, shyly, she reached out and tapped him softly on the noise.

"Boop."

The gesture was playful and affectionate, something so innately Nora, yet at the same time, there was something about it that appeared restrained to Jaune. As if holding another meaning, hiding deeper, more complex feelings.

He'd always felt that was the case. But then, Ren and Nora's relationship had always been a complex one.

When Jaune had first met the two, he'd assumed that they were dating. He wasn't entirely sure why. They just seemed so close and spent a lot of time together. It seemed like a logical conclusion. It wasn't until he'd asked Ren for advice about girls and how he'd first asked out Nora, that he'd learnt otherwise. Over hearing, it was Nora who had reassured Jaune that they weren't actually 'together-together', all the while blushing cutely through nervous laughter. Since then, Jaune had always been acutely conscious of an unspoken, unresolved tension between them, something that went beyond a friendship. Something that had actually been there for years and he was only just picking up on. Something that each of them seemed reluctant to act upon.

Whenever they got close, Nora became uncharacteristically shy around him, always quick to correct anyone who mistook their relationship as romantic. Perhaps, a little too quick. Ren, while not particularly vocal, could express himself clearly whenever he chose to speak, his words flowing with succinct confidence. Yet, when asked about his relationship with Nora, was reduced to a stumbling mess, barely able to form a sentence. Jaune wasn't entirely sure what the problem was. It seemed perfectly clear to that they liked each other, even to him. Their entire lives they had always been friends. Did the idea of crossing beyond that boundary into something more scare them? Were they more comfortable with things remaining the way they were, even if it meant compromising and ignoring their feelings?

Ren silently tended to Nora while she ate, wiping her face with a napkin, a love and gentleness in his touch akin something shared between family. Which, Jaune supposed that made sense. For the better part of their lives, they hadn't had any relatives, all they had known was each other. In a way, that's what they were. Family. Jaune smiled softly, watching the scene. It was kind of cute, actually. They'd known each other their entire lives and shared a deep, intimate bond. Knowing the hardships that they endured, Jaune was happy for his friends and the relationship they had shared. They had both been orphaned at a young age, but had never had to be alone.

Yet, at the same time, a more selfish part of him felt almost envious of how close they were. Two people, so opposite yet so perfectly crafted for one another, who had been born in close proximity. They had never had to struggle or scour the ends of the earth in search of their missing half, their soul-mate, they had been within arm's reach for as long as they could remember.

Staring down into his bowl, Jaune scooped out a spoonful of cereal with a sigh. He wished he could have been as fortunate.

.

 **thisispyrrha:** So I'll be landing in Vale on Friday at 7:30 in the morning. Hopefully, I can get some sleep on the airship.

 **mellowjaune:** Okay, great. I'll be there.

 **thisispyrrha:** Jaune, please. I keep telling you, you don't have to pick me up. I'm sure I can find my way on my own.

 **mellowjaune:** I'm sure you can too. But I'm still picking you up.

 **thisispyrrha:** But it's so early...

 **mellowjaune:** Don't worry about it. My roommates are always early risers, so I'll just get one of them to wake me up. It'll be fine.

 **thisispyrrha:** Well, if you think so.

 **mellowjaune:** Of course I do, Pyrrha. Come on, we've been waiting for this for so long. I want to be there the moment you arrive. I'll be so happy to finally see you.

 **thisispyrrha:** I'll be happy to. I just don't want to cause you too much trouble.

 **mellowjaune:** Pyrrha, it's no trouble at all. Really. You're my friend. It's the least I could do.

 **thisispyrrha:** Still, I have to make it up to you somehow.

 **thisispyrrha:** How about breakfast? You like Pumpkin Pete's right?

 **mellowjaune:** Who doesn't?

 **thisispyrrha:** Great. Because, it just so happens that I have a free year's supply of it.

 **mellowjaune:** What? Seriously?

 **mellowjaune:** Wait, why do you have that? I thought you only ate healthy stuff.

 **thisispyrrha:** You know what, it's a long story. I'll tell you when I get there.

 **mellowjaune:** I still can't believe this is happening.

 **thisispyrrha:** I know. I can't either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry you didn't really get to see Jaune and Pyrrha interact much in this chapter. That chat between them at the end was only something I added last minute to try and fix that. Anyway, you can expect them to meet up in the next chapter.
> 
> I really appreciate the interest that has been shown in this story so far. I wanted to get this chapter up much sooner, but I was having a lot of problems with my computer crashing and Word's Auto recover feature basically… not working. I was routinely losing several hundred words worth of progress, and frankly, was getting a bit pissed off. Work and Fallout 4 getting released didn't help my productivity either.
> 
> An e-cookie to anyone who can figure out what Jaune and Pyrrha's screen names mean/reference. Thanks to everyone on Tumblr who offered suggestions when I asked for them too. You guys gave me a lot of ideas to work with. Anyway, please keep the feedback coming!


	3. Chapter 3

Pyrrha had never been to Vale before. In fact, as far back as she could remember, she had never even left her home kingdom. Her family was in Mystral, her school, and once she had experienced success in the regional tournament a plethora of opportunities had been extended her way. From the outside looking in, it seemed as though Pyrrha had everything she could possibly want or need there. There was simply no reason for her to leave.

The idea of travelling Remnant had always interested her. As someone who almost sought to improve herself, Pyrrha could only imagine the knowledge and perspective she could gain first hand from seeing the world, rather than simply reading about it from a book or scroll. However, between school, training and working for sponsors; she was far too polite to turn any of them down; it seemed Pyrrha was too busy to travel.

But now, Pyrrha had graduated and saved a generous income for herself. She was young adult in the prime of her life and the invitation extended by the Schnee Company to work in Vale gave her the perfect opportunity to begin.

Pyrrha’s decision to move to Vale had been a rather rash, impulsive one, something rather atypical of her. She rarely acted without exercising prolonged caution or thought. For once, Pyrrha was throwing caution to the wind and doing something she truly wanted to do. Seeing the world, pursuing a true, deep connection she had established with another person, and dragging herself from the rut she had fallen into. Perhaps it may have seemed counter-productive to place herself in the limelight of a kingdom where she was relatively unknown, especially when she was seeking refuge from her fame in Mistral.

Yet she relished the opportunity to start over, to be seen as a regular person once again. She had the chance to make real friends, even before she built up any kind of status for herself. Even if she were to find success and fame in Vale, she wouldn't feeling isolated or lonely.

Pyrrha felt as though she was leaving that part of her life behind, even if just for the time being. It was refreshing and exciting to her, but also in a way, terrifying. While she might not have been entirely happy with her life in Mistral, she knew that it was secure.

Yet by limiting her experiences to one place, interacting seemingly with the same people each day and following the exact same training routine, Pyrrha couldn't help but worry that her life may have been stagnating. How could she possibly grow as a person? She had become accustomed to the routine, but now, for what felt like the first time in her life, she was straying from it, delving into not only a new city, but a completely new comfort zone.

She was leaving everything behind for the opportunity to begin again, in a sense. She was travelling to a city where here status was largely unknown, those who recognised her would be part of a smaller, more niche audience, and not as overwhelmingly vast as in her home kingdom. Here, it didn't matter that she was a former four-time winner of the regional tournament, she was just another person. As odd as it may have seemed, that was all she had really wanted. She was a passionate fighter, proud of her skill, but she had never sought out fame or fortune. She just wanted to live her life.

Pyrrha stepped out onto the terminal of the airship station hesitantly, overwhelmed by the flood of people moving around it. There was cacophony of voices, a flurry of bodies stumbling frantically across the floor, loaded down by luggage as they tried to make it to their ship on time. Pyrrha had always had a tendency to feel unnerved around crowds. When she was standing in an arena, it was an entire different feeling. Her mind was pre-occupied, trained on her opponent, calculating their movements, their strengths, their flaws. The adrenaline coursed through her body. It wasn’t until it had depleted that she could take the time to let her surroundings sink in, and comprehend the sheer number of people watching her, cheering her name.

She had dressed somewhat inconspicuously, for that very reason. There was a small part of her afraid that, despite being so far from home, she may be recognised. Considering she was in air station, overrun with people travelling from all corners of the land, it wasn’t impossible that she may run into some followers of the Mistral tournament.

Her presence instead was barely acknowledged. There were no confused gazes pinning her down. No squinting faces watching her intently, trying to place where they had seen her before. She was as unrecognisable as the person next to her. A stranger, another indistinct figure lost amongst the crowd. The feeling was almost unfamiliar, one that she thought she'd lost long ago.

For most of her life Pyrrha had been held up to a high standard, placed on a pedestal. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be grounded.

It was a simple luxury that people seem to overlook every day. One that you couldn’t possibly be conscious of until you had lost it. The ability to walk through life freely, without any kind of pressure or focus being placed upon it. To simply be yourself, without any pre-conceived expectation of who that may be, or how you should act.

Perhaps Pyrrha could finally find happiness in the simple pleasures that she had lost long ago.

.

Jaune stifled a yawn as he lounging back against one of the cold, hard benches in the Vale Airstation, rubbing at the sleep still lingering in his dreary, unfocused eyes. He shook his head vigorously, attempting to fight of the fatigue clinging to him, before slapping himself across the side of the face, hard. Perhaps a little too hard. A muffled shriek of pain broke from his lips, catching the attention of those around him, who eyed him warily.

Jaune gave an awkward laugh, as he rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly before they carried on, rolling their eyes. Shrugging, Jaune glanced down at his watch, noting the time.  _7:33_. She should be here any minute now.

He didn’t want to look tired when Pyrrha saw him. Knowing that he had woken up early especially to come meet her, she would probably feel really guilty. It wasn’t in any way her fault; if anything, she had protested when he’d made the either; but over the years, Jaune had come to learn that was just in her nature. Pyrrha was caring, always attentive to the needs of others and putting them before her own. He didn't want her to feel bad for him on their first meeting, it was supposed to be a happy occasion. Besides, Jaune was confident she would appreciate having someone to help out, and show her around. Having moved to Vale from a rural town, Jaune knew firsthand what it was like to arrive in the big city not knowing anyone and having to make his own way.

It wasn’t like he was sleeping well the night before anyway. He had been far too excited, and no matter how hard he tried, he simply could not get his body to shut down. His mind was overbrim with thoughts of this day. After waiting for so long, Jaune had found himself running through scenario after scenario in his mind, tossing and turning as he wondered what he would say to Pyrrha when he finally saw her. He hadn't needed either his roommates to wake him up after all, by the time dawn had rolled around he was still lying motionless, gazing at the ceiling with wide eyed and very much awake.

Another yawn rung throughout his body and Jaune stood to his feet, stretching out his legs. _Maybe I could use some coffee_ , he thought, spotting a nearby vendor, and rummaging through his pockets for some lien. Glancing around the terminal as he stood in line, he couldn’t help but notice the odd looks he was getting from some of the passing travellers. He knew he must have been looking pretty haggard. He was half awake and dressed in the nearest clothes he could find that morning; his trusty faded jeans and black hoody, worn open over a Trocadero shirt. His was hair still dishevelled from sleep, or lack thereof. Jaune cupped his hands over his mouth and exhaled as he stood in line, his breath coming out in mist, as he tried to warm them against cold morning wind. He glanced over the arrivals board over the station while waiting, double checking that he was standing outside the right gate.

 

The air station was flooded with people of all ages and walks of life; a burst of colour assaulting his senses. It seemed impossible to make out one distinct figure amongst the crowd. Yet, somehow, they all faded into nothingness as Jaune's breath caught at the familiar shock of vivid red hair, flashing in his vision. It was intricately woven into a long braid, not flowing quite as freely as he was normally used to seeing, but still unmistakeable to him.

She walked out of the arrivals gate, a certain hesitance and restrained excitement in her step as she gazed around, searching. Looking for someone. Jaune swallowed, as the anticipation built in his chest, stronger than it had ever felt to him before.  _That was her. He was certain of it._ As he drew closer to her, and that moment in which they would finally meet, Jaune became all the more conscious of how much he had longed for it. How, at any point, he could bring an end to the emptiness that had been left by her absence. The feeling that had overtaken him any time he had spoken with Pyrrha, longing to be closer to her yet knowing there would always be a limit placed on due to the constraints of time and distance that had been placed on them.

Jaune stopped, choosing to prolong just a moment longer, as if only to hold onto that sense of yearning. Knowing that everything he felt for her was raw and real.

He stepped towards her, his stomach fluttering and heart-rate accelerating. It was a feeling similar to what he'd felt approaching air stations in the past. Nerves clenching at this stomach before take-off, dreading the moment that would follow. Yet there was one distinct difference. He couldn't describe this feeling as anxiety or hesitance; it was sheer excitement.

His mind was flooding, thoughts from the night before suddenly coming back to surface. All the things he wanted to say to her, and what he should start with. Jaune massaged his palms over his head in aggravation, trying to take deep, steady breaths. For every cheesy joke and line, there was one of word that he came back to, over and over again, capturing all the emotion he felt. His hand reaching out, finally breaking the distance that had torn them apart for so long, and he spoke.

"Pyrrha."

It trickled from his throat smoothly, like it was the easiest, most natural thing in the world for him. His voice had felt like nothing more than a whisper, yet somehow, it caught her attention, reverberating across the crowded terminus like a siren song. Pyrrha stopped, her breath hitching in her throat at the sound of his voice. It had never sounded so clear to her before, no longer broken by the crackle of a microphone filter.

She turned to him, her eyes wide and vibrant.

"Jaune." She replied, a statement more than a question, and he nodded, his lips pulling into a grin.

It was strange. They'd technically never been near each other before like this. Even though they were friends, and knew each other so intimately. Their hearts were connected yet they had never so much exchanged the briefest moment of contact. It was a boundary they'd never even approached.

Though, as the distance closed between them, a distance that had taken years to cross, Jaune was overcome by the temptation to embrace her, to hold her in his arms as he'd always longed to. And as she walked towards him briskly, he was overcome by an uncharacteristic sense of confidence and desire to do so, feeling that the gesture was right. Feeling that the action would aptly convey just how he felt for her.

So, he gave into impulse, opening his arms to her. He acted quickly, wanting to pre-empt the doubts that he knew would overtake him. He didn't want to falter.

Startled, she gave a sharp, intake of breath that made Jaune's stomach drop. As she stood rigid, her arms unmoving, the doubt Jaune had fought so hard to suppress was suddenly creeping back. Had he been wrong, was this overstepping some kind of boundary? Did he make Pyrrha feel uncomfortable? Jaune sighed, mentally cursing himself. Great, they'd only just met and already he was screwing things up between them.

However, before he could pull away, or even whisper an apology, he felt Pyrrha's arm surround him gently. It held an affectionate he'd only ever felt for his close friends and family. His doubt was alleviated once more. He felt as though he knew the feeling of her against him, the smell of her hair and warmth of her body. Nothing about it seemed strange or unfamiliar

"I'm so glad, you're here." He said, reluctantly drawing away from her. "Now we can finally do this properly."

"Jaune. What are you talking about?"

He smiled, wordlessly extending his hand out to her.

"Hi there. My name's Jaune. Good to meet ya."

Blinking, Pyrrha's gaze fell to his hand, before smiling warmly as she recognised what he was doing. She rolled her eyes playfully, but was inwardly flattered by the gesture. It was cheesy, but endearing, a quality she'd come to attribute to Jaune.

Reaching out her hand, Pyrrha took Jaune’s, her own grip firm and strong as she shook it. She couldn’t help but revel in the warmth that radiated from it somehow, in spite of the morning chill.

"Hello. My name's Pyrrha."

.

"So, you actually work on security for Junior's?" Neptune asked as he rummaged through one of the many unpacked boxes in his kitchen, eventually producing two mugs.

"Yeah, I've been doing it for a couple of months now. You guys actually just caught me at the end of a shift." Yang answered, taking the mug that was handed to her.

"Huh. Lucky us, I guess. So, how'd you land that gig?"

"Well actually…" Yang began, glancing to the side with a sly smirk. "I may have won a scuffle or two with some of the old bouncers there."

Neptune eyes widened as he sputtered abruptly. Hacking on the coffee that trickled down the wrong side of his throat in his surprise.

"No shit, really?!" He exclaimed. 

Yang shrugged, pretending to nonchalantly examine the fingernails on her right hand.

"What can I say, I’ve got one hell of a right hook."

"I'll… take your word for that."

“So, how much longer until you guys are properly settled in here?” Yang asked, motioning to the small piles of tapped boxes lining the living room and kitchen. "While I'm sure it might be fun to have to go on a scavenger hunt every time you want something, I can't imagine that it's too practical."

"So we’ve still got some unpacking to do. We'll get to it, don't worry. And hey, if you were to lend us a hand, it’d probably get done a lot more quickly."

"Oh really, and why would I want to do that?" Yang asked, her arms folded and a challenging expression on her face.

"The uh… The satisfaction of knowing that you did a good deed?" Neptune offered, an uncertainty in his voice. She exhaled deeply, blowing away the hair that fell into her eyes.

“Oh, come on! You saw the state Sun was in last night, there’s no way he’s going to be much help today.”

"Do you two have to talk so loudly?" Sun moaned, catching the attention of Neptune and Yang as he stepped out of his bedroom. He was, of course, shirtless, his eyes bloodshot and his hair even more dishevelled than normal. His head was cradled pathetically in his hands as he stumbled towards the kitchen.

"Speak of which: look who's up." Yang sang, her voice deliberately cheery.

"We were barely making any noise." Neptune deadpanned, narrowing his eyes at Sun.

"Neptune!" Sun exclaimed upon seeing roommate. He winced as the volume of his voice sent another throb pulsing through his skull and decided to lower it before continuing. "What the hell happened last night?"

"Long story short, you went a bit too hard christening our new place."

"Is that why it feels like my head's been run over?" Sun asked, pulling out a seat and slumping his head against the kitchen table.

"I'd say so. You know, a few hours ago I was pretty pissed at you, but I'd say this makes it all worthwhile." Neptune smirked. Sun looked up to shot him a glare.

"Shut up and get me some aspirin."

“I don’t know how easy it’s going to be find.” Neptune said. Though, not completely heartless, he stood up from his seat and began searching through the boxes strewn over their kitchen counters once more, eventually managing to find a packet.

"Oh and this is Yang, by the way.” Neptune added, returning the table with the aspirin a glass with water. She's our new neighbour. You guys were introduced last night but I'm guessing you probably don't remember."

"Under different circumstances, I'm sure meeting you would be a pleasure." Sun drawled, taking the water that Neptune offered to him and throwing his head back as he swallowed the aspirin. Yang just chuckled.

"Wow, you’re pretty crabby when you’re hungover. Though you're also a lot easier to understand. And, well… a lot more conscious."

“Yang was nice enough to help me get you home last night, so I thought I’d invite her over for coffee. Plus, I figured it wouldn’t hurt for us to get to know the neighbours.”

"Speaking of which, some friends of mine are having a get-together for my sister, Ruby. You guys seem pretty cool, maybe I can put in a good word for you.”

"Yeah, that sounds like fun."

“Sweet! I’ll text Jaune right now and see if it’s okay.” Yang said, her hands dipping into her back pocket but finding it empty.

“Damn. I must have left my scroll back at my place,” she said with a sigh. She stood to her and began moving towards the front door. “I’ll be back in a minute guys.”

“Sure, see you in a bit.” Neptune said with a lazy wave as she closed the behind her. He sighed as he turned back to his roommate, finding him still crumpled against the table.

“Look, I know you think you’re dying and everything, but we kind of need to get this place sorted out.”

"Maybe later.” Sun replied, his voice still muffled as his head lay against the wooden surface. “Right now what I need is coffee. And hash browns. And for someone to build a giant dish and block out the sun."

"So… Aside from that, did you have a good time last night?"’

Sun could no longer exert the energy to lift his head and glare at Neptune, so instead, he opted to give him the middle finger.

“That’s classy, dude.” Neptune said, rolling his eyes. “Can you at least take that bag of trash out for me?”

Sun looked up, frustration and disbelief crinkling the lines on his forehead.

“How can we possibly have trash? We’ve only been here one day.”

“Some stuff left by the people who were here before us.” Neptune shrugged. “The place was kind of a mess when we got here. I’m guessing they weren’t on the best terms with the landlord.”

“Oh, so they left a house-warming present? How kind of them.” Sun grumbled, snatching up the bag and standing to his feet.

.

Yang walked down to the hall towards her apartment at a leisurely pace, not having far to go. Her place was actually only a few doors down from where Sun and Neptune had just moved in. She was surprised that they hadn’t run into each other sooner. She fished through her pocket, glad to find she hadn’t left her keys behind as well, and reached out to unlock the door. She jolted back in surprise, however, at the sound of the lock clicking from the otherwise and the door creaking open. Her roommate bolted out in a frenzied state, moments later, narrowly avoiding running into her.  

“Wow, easy there Blake. What’s the rush?”

“Sorry Yang, I’m running late for work.” Blake called over her shoulder, as she weaved by Yang and began to jog down the hall.  

“Wait, hold up.” Yang responded, catching her by the shoulder before she could get too far. “Is everything okay? You seem a little worked up.”

Turning to face, Blake sighed, registering the serious tone in Yang’s voice. Yang must have suspected that she was upset about something. Something more significant and troubling than any trivial, ordinary day-to-day stress.

Blake glanced down at her feet, suddenly feeling vulnerable, exposed. She had been described as impassive before; withdrawn and difficult to read. Yet perhaps she wasn’t as capable of concealing her emotions as she though. Both Ruby and Yang had managed to see through. Perhaps the sister’s possessed some kind of unique intuition, or had just come too know her well enough in their friendship that there were able to tell when something was troubling her.

 “It’s fine, Yang.” Blake answered, after a moment’s pause. She looked up, holding Yang’s gaze and offering a smile. It felt strained. “Sorry, I’m just a little bit frazzled today. I’m kind of behind schedule. But… It’s nothing serious, I promise.”

“Okay.” Yang answered, watching her. “Well, so long as everything’s okay.”

“It is.” Blake nodded. “Don’t worry about me, okay? If I ever need to talk or Ruby, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, well… We’ll see you later, right?”

 “You know her?”

Yang glanced over her shoulder at the unexpected voice, catching sight of Sun as he stood outside of his apartment door, a garbage bag held loosely in his grip. She hadn’t heard him come out. She followed his gaze towards Blake as she turned a corner at the end of the hallway.

“Yeah, that’s Blake.” She answered simply. “My roommate.”

“ _She’s_ your roommate?” Sun’s exclaimed, and Yang rose an eyebrow at him, puzzled by his tone of voice.

“Are you feeling okay? You’re acting kind of weird.”

“I- It’s nothing.” He responded with a flush.

“Alright, if you say so.” Yang said with a knowing smirk. She could make out a scowl crossing Sun’s face as she closed the door behind herself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be talking about the Volume 3 finale in the end notes. If you're not up to date with RWBY (some people prefer watching the episodes on Youtube, I get it) then you might want to avoid them so you don't get spoiled: You have been warned.

Ruby strode briskly through the front door of the CFVY House, her red hood billowing in the cold wind behind her. Despite trying to walk with the usual spring in her step, her body felt heavy and on the brink of succumbing to exhaustion. She needed a morning pick me up before heading into work, especially seeing as Jaune wouldn't be going in today. He had asked a few days advance if he could take Friday off.

Stepping inside and sighed blissfully under the comforting embrace of the shop's heating, Ruby took a seat in front of the counter, slumping tiredly against the surface.

"Hey Coco," Ruby said, without needing to lift her head. She had recognised the young barista's distinct attire on her way in; her beret, sunglasses and scarf. Coco owned the coffee shop with her friends, giving them the luxury of wearing their own clothing on shifts rather than a uniform. Ruby was surprised that Coco wore such clothing, given her line of work and especially how much she valued the designer labels. She must have really trusted in her, and her friends' ability to handle and prepare coffee without spilling anything.

"Hey Ruby… What can I get for you today?"

Coco greeted her with a smile, pleased to see one of the many friends and regulars to the shop. Yet couldn't help but notice that Ruby was far from her normally bright, cheerful self. There was definitely something off about her.

"Can I have the usual please? In fact, make it a double."

"Sure thing." Coco answered, retrieving a Styrofoam cup and rapidly scribbling onto it with a marker. She slid the cup down the bench towards the dark skinned man working at the coffee machine. "Fox, can you get this one?"

He nodded, wordless, extending his hand and catching the cup that had been slid to him, without even looking. Ruby watched, silently in awe of how well and seamlessly the two worked together, like well-oiled machinery.

"Long night?" Coco asked, pushing down her sunglasses and studying Ruby, who was leaning her elbow against the countertop, her face resting against her open hand.

"I didn't get much sleep." Ruby nodded, stifling a deep yawn against the back of her free hand. "I was worried about Blake."

"Oh, really? Is everything alright?"

"That's the thing." Ruby said, looking up. "I have no idea. She seemed really upset about something last night, but wouldn't tell me anything. I think she's keeping something from me."

"Well, that's not completely unusual, right? After all, Blake can be…" Coco began, before pausing for a moment, taking the time to carefully choose her next words. "…kind of reclusive. Maybe you just need to give her some time to open up to you about it."

Ruby's eyelids drooped slightly, as she glanced down at the countertop with a frown. She had a feeling Coco might say something along those lines, yet, in this instance, she wasn't sure how much truth her words held. She couldn't tell if what Blake was keeping from her could be written off simply as being part of her reserved personality. It seemed to run deeper than that.

"But I thought we'd reached a point where she felt like she could trust us." Ruby protested. "She promised she wouldn't leave us in the dark about things like this anymore."

"I'm sure she still trusts you, Ruby. Blake wouldn't want to do anything to upset you. There are just some people who have don't find it easy to be open, and talking about things that are sensitive to them can be difficult. You can't force it. You just need to be patient. Let it come naturally from them."

"Believe me, I happen to know a few people like that myself." Coco added, keeping her voice low. Her eyes flicked playfully in Fox's direction as he continued to silently make Ruby's coffee.

Ruby giggled, causing Fox to glance over, his eyebrows raising at Coco in suspicion. She smiled innocently in response. Fox rolled his eyes, sliding Ruby's finished coffee down the counter, directly into Coco's open, waiting hand.

"Thanks Coco. That makes me feel a little bit better."

"Hey, don't mention it." Coco said, as she rung up the total for Ruby's drink on the register in front of her. Ruby retrieved her wallet from her back pocket, producing a small wad of lien and handing it to Coco.

"Well, I should probably get going." Ruby said, flipping her scroll open to check the time. "My shift starts in ten minutes."

"Well, don't let us keep you then. Seriously though, I hope you feel better about your friend, kiddo."

"Thanks again, Coco, bye Fox." Ruby called with a wave, as she took her coffee and left hurriedly through the front door.

As the door closed behind her, Fox walked over to Coco, arms folded and an eyebrow raised up at her.

"What was all that about?"

.

"And over there is the CFVY House." Jaune recounted, his arm stretching out towards a building at the end of the block. "We actually went to high school with the people that own the place. They were in the grade above ours. They make really good hot chocolate!"

"Hot chocolate?" Pyrrha asked, raising an eyebrow at him with a smile. "Not a fan of coffee?"

"Not really… Too bitter for my taste. One of my roommates practically lives off the stuff, though… I wouldn't be surprised if the other one did too, with how hyper she is all the time."

The two strolled aimlessly down the streets of Vale, as Jaune pointed out nearby landmarks, or places that he thought Pyrrha might like. She walked the streets comfortably, knowing that with her casual dress hid the world-class from Mistral, giving her the appearance of any other person around them. She had noticed Jaune raise an eyebrow, briefly, upon first seeing her, being unaware of the celebrity status she was trying to hide. She was relieved, however, when he did not press the issue. Apparently, too pleased to finally see her to care.

She wasn't sure if it was disorientation from her flight over, but Pyrrha felt light-headed almost as if she was floating on air. She was still in disbelief walking besides Jaune, being in the flesh, within mere arms reach of someone she had been separated from for so long. It was taking time for her to adjust, a part of her struggling to accept that this was real. She was still revelling in the sensation of his embrace, the touch still lingering on her skin.

Admittedly, she had been worried, initially, that their conversation may have descended into awkward lulls of uncomfortable silence. Yet they spoke with each other in an easy, relaxed manner, just as they always had. It seemed that each time they passed a building, or nearby park, or street corner, it would spur a memory within Jaune, one that he would recount to her fondly. She smiled, listening intently, almost envious of the obvious attachment Jaune had to the city, wishing that she could share the same fortune.

"I hope I'll get to finally meet your friends soon." Pyrrha commented absently, her voice a soft breath. "It would be nice to finally put some faces to names."

"Well, about that." Jaune began, slowly his pace, abruptly. Pyrrha, stopped beside him, watching, curious. Jaune, on the other hand, seemed hesitant about holding her gaze, focused instead on the passing pedestrians and traffic. He paused, as if trying to collect his thoughts.

"Yes?" Pyrrha probed gently, and Jaune turned to her, sheepishly.

"See, I was wondering…" He began, before swallowing. His face strained, as if silently urging himself to continue, his voice unsteady. "If- If you weren't busy Saturday night, maybe you'd like to come this party I'm having for a friend of mine?"

Pyrrha's lips opened in surprise, a tingling lighting up inside of her stomach. It was a sensation not unlike the one that overtook when she stood before a tournament crowd, readying herself to compete. Though, it was different. Unique, in its own way. It wasn't nerves. Rather, it felt… invigorating. To others, the innocent gesture would have not stood out as anything particularly significant. However, Pyrrha couldn't remember the last time such an invitation had been extended to her.

"I mean, it's totally cool if you don't want to," Jaune began to blather nervously, reading Pyrrha's silence as hesitance. "I get that it can be kind of weird going to something where you don't know many people, but I just thought that you might-"

"Jaune," Pyrrha interrupted, silencing him. Though, her voice and expression radiating a similar sense of warmth, finding his nervousness endearing.

"I'd really like that."

"Really? That's great! You'll like my friends, I promise. They're really cool people. In fact, I know some of them are already eager to meet you."

"You- you've already talked to them about me?"

"I mean, not exactly. They know that I've been talking with someone online."

"Oh. I see."

Jaune winced, hearing Pyrrha's voice soften and her shoulders slouch slightly as she spoke. Great, he muttered bitterly to himself, turning from her line of sight, he had spoken carelessly and brushed her off. Had she gotten the impression that that he didn't care enough about their relationship to share it with his other friends? He hadn't meant it that way! It just wasn't really something that came up a lot. Unless Nora was teasing him.

He cursed at himself under his breath. Everything had been going fine between them up until that point. He just had to go and screw everything up by opening his big dumb mouth. Now there was an awkward uncomfortable silence lingering between them, one that he wanted more than anything to break. Jaune racked his brain for a new conversation point, to try and move on. He grasped desperately at the first thing that came to mind.

"So, uh… Where are you staying exactly?"

"Oh, a friend of mine has a house here that they've offered to let me stay in." Pyrrha answered, before fishing her scroll out of her pocket and began looking for the message she'd received containing the address. "I should have it on me somewhere."

"You have other friends in Vale?" Jaune asked, holding a hand over his chest in mock hurt: more than eager to lighten the mood. "Are you cheating on me, Pyrrha?"

"Oh, Jaune." Pyrrha laughed softly. "They're actually from Atlas, so they won't be there. It's just a house they lived in while studying at Beacon. Normally, they'd rent it out to others, but offered to let me stay there."

"Huh, cool. That works out well for you then."

"It certainly does. Anyway, it's supposed just a few blocks from the University."

"Well, hey. I happen to know a nice scenic route we can take to get there. That is, so long as you don't mind the trip taking a little bit longer."

"No, of course not. That sounds wonderful, Jaune."

"Great!" he beamed. "Well then, follow my lead."

.

General James Ironwood liked to think of himself as a rational man. In his line of work, his position of power, he often had to make difficult decisions. Decisions that needed to be approached in a clear, calm manner, considering the perspectives of all parties involved. Sometimes, the choices he made were divisive, yet, at the end of the day, he did what he through was right. Not a day went by where he did not have the good of the Kingdoms of Remnant in mind.

Though, as things existed now, their world was teetering on the brink of peril.

The White Fang were beyond the point of repair, and any attempts to pacify them had proved futile; at least through peaceful means. Their protests had become increasingly dangerous and were being heavily patrolled. Their followers were angry, blinded by those negative emotions that festered inside of them. They were no longer willing to listen to reason, convinced that the time and opportunity for meaningful discussion had long since passed. Those who were once considered a vocal, extremist minority were now the ones leading the charge, who only knew how to achieve their goals through violence and intimidation.

What they failed to realise, however, is that Ironwood was not above fighting fire with fire.

"General Ironwood, sir."

At the sound of his name being called, Ironwood glanced over at his shoulder, eyes falling on one of his men. He nodded, silently in greeting as the soldier raised a hand to his forehead, in a brief salute.

"At ease, soldier. What's the situation? Were you able to find anything about the prisoner?"

"Nothing major, unfortunately, sir. He's been involved in petty crime mostly: dust robbery, that sort of thing. Though, the strange part is, we've scoured his records and as far as we can tell he has no previous affiliation with the White Fang."

Ironwood pursed his lips, his forehead crinkling in thought. Something about this didn't add up. Were the White Fang recruiting petty criminals to do their dirty work now? But… Why would someone who had no previous interest or involvement in their cause be willing to risk his life, maybe even lay it down, for something they didn't even necessarily believe in? What could have possibly been in it for them?

The only real way he could hope to make some sense of the situation was to ask the source directly. Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. Even that had presented them with problems.

"You weren't able to get any answers out of him?" Ironwood asked after a moment.

"I'm afraid not, sir. The prisoner simply refuses to talk."

"Very well." Ironwood sighed. "You may take five, soldier. If you don't mind, I'd like to have a little chat with our new friend."

"Understood, sir." The guard responded, saluting Ironwood once more, before turning to leave the room.

.

"Well, here we are." Pyrrha said, her eyes dipping down to her screen, double-checking the address.

"Wow. That's uh, quite the place." Jaune whistled lowly as he eyed the rather spacious, modern-looking home with white, brick walls and stained glass. "You're really going to be living here by yourself?"

While he couldn't make a lot from the outside, it was a two-story building, complete with a sizable backyard and garden, rather luxurious features considering some of the prices for housing in Vale. He should know. The rent for his place was rather costly, and that was an average sized apartment split between three people. Considering this, he couldn't help but speculate as to who exactly Pyrrha's friend was, and how they were able to afford such a place, in a rather esteemed suburb off of Vale's central business district. He held his tongue, however, knowing it would be impolite to pry.

"It looks that way." Pyrrha answered, ducking her head slightly, suddenly feeling bashful. She had never been one of particularly extravagant tastes. She had really wanted to come to Vale to escape the lavish lifestyle she'd had in Mistral.

Though, Pyrrha took comfort in reminded herself that this didn't have to be permanent, and she'd never planned for it to be. It was offer she'd accepted out of sheer convenience. Yet, at the same time, she didn't want to overstay her welcome in the Schnee's house, even if it wasn't one they were currently living in. She could probably find her own place after settling in and becoming more familiar with the town.

"Well, you're probably tired after your flight over, I should probably get out of your hair." Jaune began and Pyrrha glanced at him, confusion evident in her eyes. From the inflection in his voice, it seemed like Jaune was saying goodbye. But, that couldn't be right. Surely, he wouldn't be leaving so early?

"But hey, I've got the day off and you've got my scroll number, so if you want to hang out later or anything, just let me know, okay?" Jaune smiled to her, his hand raising in a loose wave. "I'll see you around."

Pyrrha bit her lip as Jaune turned away from her, beginning to walk off in the opposite direction. She rubbed a hand over her bicep, nervously, wanting to speak up, but struggling to harness the courage to do so. Silently, she chastised herself for her shyness, feeling that there should be no reason for it. She'd experienced things far more daunting than speaking openly to someone she trusted. Pyrrha swallowed, eventually finding her voice.

"What about now?" Pyrrha asked, her voice stopping Jaune in his tracks. He turned to her, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Huh?"

"Why don't we do something now?" Pyrrha continued, fearing that if she fell silent, she would be unable to summon the courage to speak again. "I mean, there's no point in waiting, right? We could get breakfast."

"Well, yeah. But… aren't you, like, jet-lagged or anything?"

"Not really." Pyrrha smiled, silently flattered to her Jaune expressing concern for her. "Besides, I want to try and adjust my sleep schedule to Valean time. That won't work if I rest now. I need to stay up for as long as I can."

"Oh… Well, sure we can do something." Jaune answered, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's just… I figured you'd want to unpack, y'know, get settled into your new place. I didn't want to take up too much of your time."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes light-heartedly, a warm smile tugging at her lips. Honestly, that boy really was clueless at times. Boldly, she reached out, clasping one of his hands in her own.

"Jaune, one of the main reasons why I was so excited about coming to Vale was that I would finally get to meet you. We're friends."

Jaune glanced off to the side sub-consciously, a flush building on his cheeks at the intimacy of the gesture and the sincerity of her words.

"Tell you what. Why don't I spend some time unpack, freshen up and you can meet me back in… an hour so? I can send you the address in case you can't remember the way over."

"Alright. Yeah, that works for me."

"Great. So... I guess I'll see you soon then?"

.

The solid, oak door to the Schnee house closed behind Pyrrha, shielding her from the world outside. She leant back against it, her heartrate accelerating and eyes lighting up, in a fleeting, private moment of happiness. Everything that had happened over the course of the past few hours still only just sinking in for Pyrrha.

She was finally here, in Vale.

They had only, officially, met just that morning. Yet, the chemistry and close, intimate relationship they had established online seemed to be carrying over seamlessly into their real life interaction.

She didn't want to waste her time alone in the Schnee's empty house. She wanted to go outside and explore the city, to latch onto and embrace as much of her new life as possible. Seeing as she knew very little about Vale, Jaune was her best means of achieving that.

Pyrrha walked through the entranceway, observing the place that she would call home for the next few months. It was apparent that the place was rarely occupied, judging by the largely bare walls and pristine counter-tops free of clutter. Though, the house was impeccably designed, it didn't feel particularly homey to Pyrrha: lacking a sense of warmth and any real signs of life, but it was fine for the time being. She had all that she needed.

Her heart lurched erratically in her chest at the sound of the front door slamming open suddenly, revealing a rather aggravated looking young woman dragging a suitcase behind her. Pyrrha's eyes widened in recognition.

"Weiss?" She asked. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? This is my house, isn't it?"

Pyrrha's eyes widened, taken aback by the brusque manner in which Weiss was speaking. She wasn't normally so short with her, something must have upset her.

"I- I suppose you're right. What I meant to say is, I wasn't expected to see you. Weren't you in Atlas?"

"I was," Weiss huffed, slamming the door closed behind her with a little more force than necessary. "However, my father decided that it would be best for me to stay here. With everything that's happening between our company and the White Fang, he's concerned that they may try and target me. Like I'm a child who can't take care of themselves."

"Oh." Pyrrha answered simply. "Well, I'm glad to see you. There'll be at least one more familiar face in the city, for me, at least."

She approached Weiss cautiously, taking in the distressed girls' features; her unusually slouched, rigid posture and hunched shoulders. She frowned, reaching out towards Weiss with her hands, gently coaxing her to stand upright. Weiss glanced at her, surprised, her mouth opening slightly and eyes wide. Pyrrha simply smiled, hoping to comfort the closest thing she had had to a friend in Mistral.

"I was sorry to hear about what's been happening to your family's company. Are you coping okay?"

Weiss sighed, her lip catching between her teeth as glanced downwards, sadly.

"This has been going on for a while now." She admitted, eyes fixated on her hands as she clasped them together anxiously "You'd think with time I would have been able to adjust. But it hasn't become any less… worrying. I got a call from my father telling me to leave for the next airship to Vale."

Pyrrha rubbed soothing, comforting patterns against the other girl's skin. Not coaxing her to continue, but remaining silent and listening closely, should Weiss choose to do so. She understood the catharsis that came with sharing your fears and insecurities with someone else. Not necessarily receiving resolutions to your problems, but being able to take comfort in the presence of another, knowing that you did not have to face them alone.

"I'm glad that my family are okay." She continued. "For now, anyway. I wish I could have had the time to see them before I left."

"I understand." Pyrrha nodded solemnly. She could only imagine how she would react if her family were placed in a similar position. She was surprised with the level-headed fashion in which Weiss appeared to be handling the situation. It was certainly a testament to her will.

"I can see that you're upset with your father's decision, but it seems to me that whatever he's doing, he's doing it with you and your family's, best interest at heart. I'm sure they'll be okay. Though, if there's anything I can do to help keep your mind off of things…"

"Thank you Pyrrha, but… I'm just so tired and overwhelmed by everything. I think I'm going to get some rest."

"Alright," Pyrrha answered, moving away and allowing Weiss room to pass her.

"Oh and Pyrrha?" Weiss said, stopping as her hand rested on the door handle.

"Hmm?"

"Welcome to Vale. I'm glad to see you made it one piece." She smiled, closing the door behind her.

.

Jaune had insisted that the stalls in the marketplace served much tastier food for a fraction of the cost of a restaurant. Though, Pyrrha couldn't help be feel somewhat apprehensive as he led her through the overcrowded back-streets. She had been about to insist that money was not an issue; as she had saved a generous amount of lien from her years of sponsorships and tournament wins. She would be more than willing to treat Jaune if he couldn't afford

However, the tantalising aromas wafting from each stall they passed made it increasingly difficult for her to argue.

Jaune eventually led her to a small breakfast bar, overlooking the rest of the market. It made for an intriguing view for Pyrrha, as she watched throngs of people passing by, noses buried in scrolls, the world around them invisible, nothing more than background noise.

"I feel like I've seen him somewhere before," Pyrrha whispered, dipping her head in the direction of the old man who had served them.

"Huh?" Jaune answered, looking up from his plate of waffles to where Pyrrha was pointing. Recognition flared in his eyes, and he chuckled softly.

"Oh yeah, you probably have… He seems to have small business all over town."

"It's funny, he looks exactly the guy who owns the shop I work at. Yet whenever I try and ask him about, he acts like he doesn't know what I'm talking about."

"That is unusual."

"Tell me about it. My friend Ruby seems to think he's part of a clone army or something. I figure he probably just has twins... But hey, who knows?"

Jaune pierced a piece of waffle with his fork, enjoying watching the generous helping of syrup that trickling through the dough's divots. He slid the morsel into his mouth, chewing contentedly. It was nice to not have to worry about hiding it from Nora for a change.

"I'll have to introduce you to her at some point. Ruby, I mean. I think you'd really like her."

"Yes, I believe you've mentioned her before. You always spoke very fondly of her."

"Yeah. Although…" Jaune began. His voice was small and hesitant, his body folding in on itself.

"Jaune, what is it? What's the matter?"

He shook his head with a sigh and turned away, as Pyrrha watched him, trying to better read his expression, to catch a glimpse of his eyes.

"I'm actually a little bit jealous of her." He admitted after a moment, his expression downcast, guilty, as his gaze remained trained on the plate before him.

"Really? Why?"

"Well... I mean, she's two years younger than me, yet she's already got so much more of her life worked out. She's always known that she wanted to be a police officer, just like her mom. She's moving on from the same job that I've been stuck for the past two years and actually pursuing something she is passionate about. All the while here I am, stagnating, and it sucks."

"I just want to be happy for my friend, and I am. But that happiness is tainted but something so petty. I just feel awful."

Pyrrha frowned sadly, reaching her hand out to clasp Jaune's shoulder, reassuringly. He turned to her, his eyes though their usual vibrant blue, appeared dull, lacking the usual warmth she associated with them.

"You shouldn't compare yourself to others Jaune. Just because you have friends who are moving on and, it doesn't mean that you should be too. Everyone goes down a different path. What's important is finding the one that you feel is right for you."

"I know, it's just… It's not easy." Jaune sighed, glancing down at his plate. His fork pierced a forgotten piece of waffle, absent-mindedly trailing it along his plate, soaking up any leftover syrup. "My father wanted me to join the military. He wanted me to serve and protect the Kingdom, just like he and his father before him did. He wanted me to carry on the legacy of the Arc name. He would tell me about the great things my forefathers had achieved before me. How they'd travelled the world."

"I wanted nothing more than to please him, but I couldn't. I was a complete failure at combat school. I did so badly at Signal, I couldn't even sit the entrance exams for Beacon. Sometimes, I thought about trying to forge transcripts just so that I could make it. I never wanted to get into Beacon. Not for me, anyway. For once, I just wanted him to be proud of me. But low and behold, as usual, I'm nothing but a disappointment."

"That's a terrible thing to say, Jaune. I'm sure that isn't true."

"Maybe you're right… It wouldn't kill him to say it every once and a while though."

Pyrrha watched Jaune closely, her eyebrows knitting together as she frowned in concerned. In all the time she had known Jaune, he had never mentioned any of this two her before. She had an idea that he wasn't completely happy about where he was life was at the moment, but had idea that his anxiety ran so deep. It was touching to realise that he placed such trust in her, to reveal a part of himself that he was ashamed, even uncomfortable about. She adjusted her grip on his shoulder, squeezing lightly, catching his attention.

"So Jaune, what do you want to do with your life?"

Jaune sighed, glancing downward and scuffing his shoes against the floor beneath him, absently pushing pieces of food around his plate with his fork.

"I don't know. I haven't really worked that out yet." He answered, honestly, after a moment. "Whatever it is, I just want the freedom to choose it for myself. I don't want something forced upon me. I don't want to feel pressured to pursue something I'm not even talented in, or that I don't care about. Sure. There are times where it might look like I'm struggling to get by, but at least I'm doing it on my own. I'm figuring things out for myself."

"Right." Pyrrha nodded. "That's all that matters."

.

Despite the obvious fatigue and discomfort wearing in on the prisoner, he still smirked smugly as the General entered the room he was being contained in. His bright hair was matted and dishevelled, sweat beading on his forehead from sitting underneath the strong, fluorescent lighting. He was however, otherwise unscathed, Ironwood noted. Despite their growing frustrations, his men had not resorted to physical force. It would only be a matter of time before he cracked, and gave them the answers they wanted. The prisoner's eyes narrowed at Ironwood, his lips remaining curled, as his expression appeared to almost challenge the General. Though, Ironwood refused to be provoked.

Given the circumstances, it was clearly going to be much easier for him to hold out, to remain calm and patient, than it was for the prisoner. Steel scrapped against the concrete floor as Ironwood pulled a chair out for himself, slowly, deliberately. He set it down mere feet from the prisoner, watching him closely.

"You know, my men have held you here for almost twelve hours now, yet we still have yet to hear a single word from you. It seems unusual. You were certainly much more… vocal when we first brought you in."

The prisoner's lips curled slightly again, forming the ghost of a smirk. Yet, unsurprisingly, he remained silent. Ironwood sighed, fingers pinching at the lines in his forehead.

"I'm not quite sure what you and the White Fang are planning, but I'm here to tell you that it stops. Now. I've lost too many good men to this… movement, and you've exhausted more than enough of our time and resources."

"My heart bleeds for you, General. It really does." The prisoner drawled suddenly, as he lifted his bound wrists, feeling the thick rope digging into his skin.

"I'll ask you one last time." Ironwood continued, brushing off the other man's quip. "What were you doing on that train? With members of the White Fang, no less? What possible reason could the White Fang have for working with a petty crook like you?"

The man leant further forward, closing the distance between them slightly as he held Ironwood's gaze. His expression was impassive, steadfast.

"Surely you know the story, by now, General? Or do you not pay attention to the news? No. You know as well as do, that this isn't some isolated incident. They will have a target painted on their backs. As for my involvement, well. Let's just say the White Fang and I see each other as a means to an end. We have a common goal that we are both working towards."

Ironwood frowned, slowly, deliberately moving to his feet. The harsh cacophony of steel chiselling against concrete reverberated throughout the small room as he pushed his chair back. The prisoner did not flinch.

"If that's how you want to do things, then that's fine." Ironwood said, leaving the room with measured steps. "I can wait, Torchwick. Just know that the longer you stretch this out, the more difficult it gets for you."

Ironwood closed the door behind him, shadows descending upon the room once more, as the criminal was left alone in silence. He smirked again, before moving to sit upright.

"If you only knew, General. If you only knew…"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler territory
> 
> So... That finale, huh? I had very mixed emotions about it. On the one hand, it was amazing: capping off what was been, in my opinion, the best RWBY volume so far. On the other hand, my favourite character was killed off.
> 
> Pyrrha's death hit me pretty hard, even with the years of foreshadowing it had, it certainly didn't come any easier. Though, to be honest, from the moment she and Jaune kissed it was pretty much confirmed for me. Adding onto Penny and Roman, this volume was pretty ruthless to a lot of my favourite characters. Hell, I was even intrigued by and becoming attached to Amber's character, but we all know how that went. Still, I'm glad Pyrrha went out valiantly, at least. Considering she was going up against someone with god-like powers she managed to hold her own pretty well. There was a brief moment where I was almost convinced she might make it... and then, of course, she got shot in the heel.
> 
> So... potentially unpopular opinion time: Naturally, because Pyrrha was a major character and pretty universally loved amongst the fandom, people are trying to come up with theories on how she may have survived, or could potentially be revived at some point. I haven't really looked at many of them in deoth, because, while I'm sure they're interesting and have substance to them, it's been made pretty apparent that her death was final. And even if, canonically, there was some way she could possibly be brought back to life, as much as I love her character, I wouldn't want it to happen. Reviving characters who have passed, for me, really cheapens the impact of their final scene, and, in my opinion, shows a reluctancy on the writer's part to follow through with their narrative decisions. The more it happens, the more difficult it becomes to invest in scenes where characters are in danger, as you get the impression that they're never really going to come to any major harm: or if they do, it will be magically fixed somehow. It's a problem I've always had with a lot of mainstream, shounen manga, particularly the likes of Bleach and Naruto. While I love those series, they'll often tease or even follow through with, a major character death, only to completely go back on it later in the arc. Usually through some pretty weak, deus ex machina plot-device.
> 
> Some people have been entertaining the idea of her having some kind of spiritual connection with Jaune (as a result of unlocking his aura) and being able to communicate with even after passing, or just straight up appearing as a ghost. That, I might be able to get on board with; the latter in particular wouldn't be incredibly unrealistic considering what RT's done in Red vs Blue before; but anything beyond that would probably just end up disappointing me. Especially considering how stellar the writing in RWBY has been lately.
> 
> Anyway, I'm still incredibly excited to see where this story is going and will be eagerly awaiting the release of the next volume. I get the feeling that with this new team, and the fact that most of RWBY are on the shelf for the time being, we might get more insight into Nora and Ren's backstory, which is something that I am all for. It'd be cool for them to have a moment in the spotlight.
> 
> tl;dr: I have been emotionally compromised by Rooster Teeth. What else is new?
> 
> So anyway, I think this note's dragged on long enough: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I've really been enjoying the reviews you've been leaving me. Thank you for all of your feedback.


	5. Chapter 5

Cyril Ian leant back in his desk chair, stretching out his languid, tired limbs. He glanced up at his monitor, studying the myriad of browser windows cluttering his desktop and feeling his head swim as the walls text throbbed in his brain.

Word had spread that there would be another White Fang rally taking place tonight. One right the heart of the city, for all to see. It was a story he'd been following closely, with growing concern, given that he had been conducting live, on-location reports for a number of their events.

This news had left him feeling distracted, and antsy, throughout most of the work day. He had found himself drawn to social media, wanting to uncover more about the story, but too anxious to actually venture out onto the streets. Cyril sifted through posts left on forums and in groups, made by followers inside the organisation as they discussed upcoming events. The local police were on high alert, some officers even being assigned to oversee the protest, conscious that the last one had broken out into violence. It was reassuring to know that the authorities had been warned, yet he still couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy.

He was concerned for the wellbeing of the citizens, but also for the men and women serving to protect them. Lately, it seemed that the White Fang were only growing in numbers and hostility, having even been linked to terrorist attacks outside of Vale. If there was one of thing that was going to upset the organisation more, it was people turning up in uniform. Cyril couldn't help but play out the worst case scenario, the rally growing violent as the police struggled to contain the mobs of people.

"Cyril, do you have a moment?"

Startled from his stupor, Cyril reflexively minimised the window he was browsing, glancing over to the editor-in chief approaching his cubicle. He nodded in greeting, turning in his chair to face them directly.

"Of course, sir. What did you need?"

"I've actually got a new assignment I'd like you to look into. Something that I think you may be very interested in." He said, dropping a small stack on photographs onto Cyril's desk.

He retrieved one from the top of the pile, curious, and held it up to the light, studying it. It was difficult to make out. The picture was slightly out-of-focus, apparently having been shot hastily and from behind the cover of a building. The photographer, obviously, wanted to take the picture discretely, without drawing attention to themselves.

Cyril's eyebrows furrowed, his lips pursing together. It was a shot of a suburban street in Vale. He could make out two figures in the foreground of the photo, who appeared to be the focus. They were young adults, a man and a woman, walking side by side together and engaged in what appeared to be an intimate conversation. There didn't seem to be anything particularly out of the ordinary about the photograph.

"Alright. What exactly am I looking for here?" He asked, holding the picture under the light for closer inspection.

"Are you blind?" The editor-in-chief scoffed, snatching the photograph back and pointing out the woman. "That's Pyrrha Nikos! You know, the Regional Mistral Tournament? Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes? Pyrrha Nikos is here in Vale!"

Cyril squinted, gazing closer at the photo, before recognition flashed in his eyes. He hadn't been able to place the young woman at first, having rarely interacted with or reported on her in the past. Yet once Cyril's boss had placed a name against the seemingly, unfamiliar face, everything came rushing back to him. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it sooner.

"You're right… Though, I'm still not quite sure there's a story in this. Not here, anyway. Do you really think anyone in Vale is going to care about an athlete from a completely different kingdom?"

"They might not, but what about the Mistral press? She's practically a household name over there. Think of how much lien they'd be willing to pay just for these pictures alone."

"I- I hadn't thought about it like that." Cyril said after a moment. "So, what exactly do you want me to do?"

"I want you to look deeper into this, ask around. Find out what she's doing here, and who she's with."

"What if I can't find anything?"

"Then you'll just have to take some creative liberties. You're a journalist, after all, aren't you? Besides, look at how they're acting together. It's doesn't look as though you'll be embellishing anything too much."

The photo was placed back on top of the stack, before Cyril's boss adjusted his tie, turning away from his desk.

"I'll leave these with you. I look forward to seeing what you come up with."

_._

Jaune glanced down at his watch once again, the minute hand seemingly frozen in place, before burying his hands deep into his pockets with a low exhale. He glanced towards the house a few doors down; the one where Pyrrha was staying; as he rocked up and down on the balls of feet restlessly.

He had wanted to be right on time to pick Pyrrha up, so he had left early on purpose, just in case something made him late… Which wasn't unusual. Perhaps he'd get distracted while passing the comic store, plan to stop inside for just a few minutes and completely lose track of time. Maybe he'd trip, or get stuck in traffic… even though he was walking. It didn't matter, something always seemed to go wrong with him.

Today however, thanks to his careful planning, he'd arrived early… A little too early, unfortunately. Fifteen minutes before they had planned to meet. That left him in a slightly awkward predicament.

He didn't want to bother her in case she wasn't ready. She might have been the type of girl who liked to take her time doing her hair, or picking out what to she was going to wear, he actually didn't know. Regardless, Jaune didn't want Pyrrha to feel like she had to rush on his account. He wanted her to take her time and feel relaxed. She was probably already feeling nervous about meeting and spending the better part of the night with a group of strangers, he didn't need to do anything to exacerbate her stress.

Jaune leant back against the wall of a nearby bus shelter, sifting a hand through his messy blonde hair. He supposed he could have just told her his address and let her come by himself, avoiding all of this mess. Though, being in an unfamiliar city, she might have gotten lost.

Resigning himself with a sigh, Jaune moved towards to the front door, raising his hand and knocking hesitantly.

"Just a minute," He heard Pyrrha's voice call, the light tapping of her footsteps growing as she moved closer. Her hand clasped the handle, pulling the door open as she greeted him with a warm, infectious smile.

Fortunately, it looked as though as she was ready, wearing a full-length red dress, a shade that matched her hair. She was in heels, standing at almost the same height as him. Jaune cocked his head slightly, noticing that her hair was once again in a braid, rather than the ponytail she normally favoured. Shrugging, he smiled to her as she stepped outside.

"Hey. So are you ready to go?" He asked.

"Yes." Pyrrha nodded, her hand releasing the handle, allowing the breeze to carry the door closed.

"Great." Jaune said, as she moved to walk alongside him. "Well, you look really nice…"

Nice. Jaune grimaced as soon as the word left his lips. He had an entire language, hundreds of years in the making, at his disposal and the best he could come up with to describe Pyrrha was 'nice'. It was like describing the surface of the sun as 'warm'.

Not that he had the courage to say anything more.

"Thank you, Jaune."

Though, if the way her cheeks coloured and she smiled bashfully were any indication, Pyrrha seemed to enjoy it.

"Although…" Jaune began, eyeing her with playful scepticism. Pyrrha's eyes widened, her steps faltering as she stopped to look at him.

"What is it?" She asked, concern tinging her voice.

"Well, I mean, it's not a big deal or anything." Jaune immediately backpedalled, noticing the worry in her eyes. He waved his hands as if to reassure her. "It's just- You're- uh… a little overdressed."

"Oh." Pyrrha said, glancing down at herself.

"I mean, we're just hanging out at our place, probably playing games and eating kind of trashy food. I wouldn't want you to get anything on your dress."

"Hmm, I suppose you are right." Pyrrha mused, looking over her clothes. It was a force of habit on her part. Most of the gatherings attended were much more formal events, she wasn't really used to spending time casually with friends. She smiled bashfully. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to make a good impression."

"Hey, there's no need to be nervous," Jaune reassured, touching her shoulder. "Everyone's going to love you. Just be yourself and you're guaranteed to make a good impression."

Pyrrha glanced at him warmly, thankful for the comfort her offered her so freely. It still amazed her how natural their interaction felt. Even after having been around one another for less than a day.

"Thank you, Jaune." She said again, after a moment, before glancing up at him with a grin. "Do you think I will have time to change?"

"Why not?" Jaune chuckled. "Nothing wrong with being a bit fashionably late."

In hindsight, perhaps it was good thing he had come early after all.

_._

"Nora, please." Ren said, catching his friend's lingering hand. "If you drink too much of those there won't be any for the others when they get here."

"Just one more?" She coaxed, her eyes bright and hopeful.

"Alright fine, but that's it." Ren sighed, pulling the tab off of another can of grape soda and handing it to her.

Nora cheered gleefully before rapidly sucking down the sugary treat, smacking her lips and burping. Ren shook his head, but could feel his lips pulling up into a smile, almost instinctively. He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of someone knocking at their door.

"It's open." He called, wanting to keep an eye on Nora in case she tried to sneak any more sweets behind his back.

The door opened a moment later as Blake and Yang stepped inside the apartment. Ren nodded to them in greeting.

"Hey, what are you goings doing here?" Nora asked, surprised. "The party's not starting for another hour or so."

"We thought you might like some help setting up. How's it all going?"

"Just trying to keep Nora from getting on a sugar rush."

"I can see that." Yang said, eyes trailing over the empty soda cans strewn across the table. "Are you guys not even drinking?"

"I'm not really a fan of hard liquor and Nora doesn't like the taste." Ren answered with a shake of his head. "Besides, I have to work in the morning."

"Tsk, lame. Good thing I brought some of my own!" Yang exclaimed setting some bottles down on the table with a smirk. The cans cluttered loudly underneath the weight of them and Ren's fingers pinched at the bridge of his nose. He really hoped he wasn't going to have to clean up vomit tonight.

"So, where's Jaune?" Blake asked, glancing around, noticing their other friend's absence.

"He'll be here a bit later," Nora answered, in between patting Ren on the back reassuringly. "He said he had some stuff to take care of first."

"He's showing up late to a party at his own house?" The inflection in Blake's voice rose, mirroring her confusion.

"Yep." Ren replied sardonically. "Arranges a party and then conveniently disappears when it comes time to set up for it."

"So…" Yang drawled, "This stuff he had to take care of… Does it involve a girl by any chance?"

Yang smirked, watching as Ren and Nora both immediately froze, their bodies rigid. Their combined reaction more or less confirming her suspicions. Ren shot Nora an accusatory look, suspecting she may have let something slip. She shook her head wildly, hands reaching up to cover her mouth, as if to mime that she'd kept quiet.

"How do you know about that?" Ren eventually asked, as he calmly turned back to Yang.

"Well, what can I say?" She grinned smugly, examining the finely trimmed fingernails on her hand. "I'm pretty perceptive."

Ren folded his arms, eyeing the blonde with a sceptical expression, as if silently calling her bluff. Yang smirked at first, holding his gaze resolutely. As their hushed stand-off carried on, it suddenly dawned on Yang how futile it was to try and out-last Ren in a waiting game, a game of patience. Ren meditated in his free time, he had been friends with Nora since they were children. His patience was in infinite supply. She swore she could make out an amused, knowing light in Ren's eyes as the realisation set in.

"…and I may have head a thing or two from Ruby." Yang relented, eventually. "She says he's always messaging someone during his breaks at work."

Nora's hand cupped her chin, for a moment, before she nodded. Ruby was probably the person Jaune spent the most time with, other than them. It made sense that she would be in the know.

"He comes home and talks with some girl over video chat every night after work." Nora said, her voice and expression lightly teasing. "He's really shy about it though. I've tried to sneak into his room but he always switches to another window before I can caught a glimpse of her."

Yang wrapped her arm around Nora, leading her away from Blake and Ren. The two huddled together, closely, their eyes scanning the room as they spoke back and forth to one another in hushed voices.

"So, how long's this been going on for?"

"For like, as long as we've lived together, probably even longer."

"I wonder what she looks like."

"Do you really think they're dating?"

"Probably not. Jaune's not as smooth around the ladies as he thinks."

"Figures. Has he ever even dated a girl before?"

"Well, he had a girlfriend in high school for a little while. She was kind of… possessive." Nora said with a grimace, the memories flooding back to her. "What was her name again? Something Bloom. Petunia? Poppy?"

Noticing their two energetic friends engaged in a rather animated conversation, Blake moved over to Ren with a sympathetic smile.

"So how _is_ everything going?" She asked.

"Well, we've got cookies, Ruby's favourite Jeff Williams playlist playing on loop. I'd say everything's good to go… We've even got Soaring Ninja up and ready to go if people feeling like getting some one-on-one going later in the night."

"Oh, dibs!" Yang called from across the room, immediately diving for the sofa and grabbing one of the controllers. Ren bit back a groan, but thankfully, Blake intervened.

"Not yet, Yang." She said, clasping her friend by the shoulder, halting her. Yang glanced over her shoulder at Blake, puzzled. "At least wait until Ruby's here."

"Oh. I guess you're right." Yang answered, setting the controller back down begrudgingly. She stood to her feet, a bright smile adorning her face at the mention of her sister's name.

"I still can't believe my baby sister's going to start training at Beacon." She exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "I'm so proud of her."

"It is pretty crazy to think about it." Blake nodded, a warmth in her expression. "Most of us left high school and weren't even really sure about what we wanted to pursue. Ruby's one of the only people I know who's had an idea all along."

"It's been her dream ever since she was little." Yang said, glancing downward with a fond smile. "She always wanted to help people. Just like her mom… I can tell that she's going to do amazingly. It's in her blood."

"Yeah, I think you're right. The world would definitely be a better place with more people like Ruby fighting to defend it..."

.

The party was well underway by the time Jaune finally turned up, the guest of honour having already arrived, as well as Sun and Neptune. Glasses were raised in toast to Ruby's recent accomplishment, before the group of friends broke into merry off-key singing along with the newest, infectiously catchy Achieve Men song. Fond memories and stories were exchanged, the group delving into rich laughter, as they dug into the food Ren had prepared for them. Blake's arms surrounded the bowl of tuna-fish salad protectively, glaring at anyone who came so much as three feet within it.

Jaune prodded the door open carefully with his foot, sticking his head and upper body through, but remaining out in the hall part-way. The music was shut off as his friends were caught between curiosity and amusement at his unusual entrance.

"Jaune, nice of you to finally join us." Nora probed cheekily.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late." he nodded in greeting, before trailing off. He glanced down at his feet apprehensively. "Listen, there's someone here I'd like you all to meet."

From behind the closed door, Jaune's hand reached out, his fingertips gently caressing against Pyrrha's back and guiding her forward. She drew in deep, steady breaths, trying to calm the unsettling feeling in her stomach. She moved forward with slow, tentative steps, steered by the gentle, encouraging touch of Jaune's hand, and his warm, reassuring voice.

"She's a good friend of mine and new to the city, so I want you to be extra nice to her." Jaune continued, a grin lighting up his features as he looked to her. He stepped forward into the apartment completely, leading her with him. "Everyone, this is Pyrrha."

"Hello," Pyrrha greeted, lifting her hand in a friendly wave.

 _It was still an unnerving feeling for her to stand under the weight of so many unfamiliar eyes._ _Though, in a way, she supposed the people in this room weren't complete strangers._ Jaune had already told her a lot about his friends. She felt as though she could probably deduce who was who, based on the brief, yet intimate insights she had been given into their personalities. They sounded like such wonderful people. Pyrrha really wanted to fit with them, and for them to like her.

Yang lifted her fingers to her chin as she glanced closely at Pyrrha, her face creased in thought. Pyrrha stumbled backward, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the way Jaune's friend was staring at her so intently. After a moment, Yang stood up straight, before turning to Jaune with a nod of approval.

"Damn Jauney-boy. You sure know how to pick 'em."

"Thank you, Yang," Jaune muttered sarcastically, his face burying into the palm of his hand. Blake elbowed Yang discreetly in the ribs, before extending her hand to Pyrrha.

"It's nice to meet you, Pyrrha."

"Likewise." Yang nodded, as she clutched her side with a wince, picking up on her friends hint. "Although, I feel like I've seen you somewhere else."

"O-oh. Really?" Pyrrha asked, her stomach twisting uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I thought so too." Ruby agreed. "Jaune, are you sure you haven't introduced us before?"

"How could I have done that? She's from a completely different kingdom!"

"Urgh!" Ruby exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "I'm going to go crazy trying to figure this out!

"There's nothing to figure out!" Jaune blurted, his voice cracking. He flushed as Ruby, Yang, Nora and even Pyrrha broke into laughter.

"Dude," Neptune whispered to Sun, from the corner of the room. He nudged his friend discreetly, dipping his head in Pyrrha's direction slightly. "Am I crazy, or is that who I think she is?"

"It sure looks a lot like her."

"He said her name was Pyrrha, right? There's no way it could be that much of a coincidence."

"That's so weird. I wonder how they know each other."

"Anyway," Jaune exclaimed, deliberately projecting his voice over the rest of the party. "I guess a few more introductions are in order."

Pyrrha gasped softly as Jaune's hand gently clasped the small of her back, coaxing her further into his circle of friends. Despite the gesture appearing completely innocent, she was still conscious of the jolt his fingertips brushing against her bare skin sent through her body.

Jaune extended his hand, pointing out two people in the group. A short, red-haired girl with a bright smile on her face, bouncing up and down excitedly on the balls of her feet. The man next to her was noticeably less animated, though as he gaze meet his, his lips curved into a discrete smile.

"Pyrrha," Jaune announced. "These are my roommates: Nora and Ren."

"Hey there!" Nora greeted, her voice rising enthusiastically. Pyrrha's eyes widened, taken aback by the volume of the petite woman's voice. "We've heard so much about you."

"Nice to meet you too." Pyrrha answered cheerfully, warmed by Nora's genuine enthusiasm.

"Blake's introduced herself already." Jaune said, continuing the introductions. "This is Ruby and her sister, Yang."

"Hello." Pyrrha said, paying particular attention the young girl wearing a hoodie. "Congratulations on making it into Beacon, Ruby."

"Oh hey, y'know, it was nothing." Ruby muttered, flushing at Pyrrha's praise.

"And… I don't believe we've met." Jaune drawled, stopping when he saw Sun and Neptune.

"Oh," Yang said. "This is Sun and Neptune. They just moved into our building recently. They're from Mistral."

"Mistral?" Pyrrha breathed.

"Oh really? Huh, small world." Jaune commented.

Pyrrha did her best to hold a straight face, to hide behind the bright, professional smile she had perfected, but internally, she was panicking. Suddenly, it made sense. The recognition that had momentarily flashed in their eyes; even though she was certain she had never met them before; the way they had exchanged words softly with one another as she approached them.

They were from Mistral, a kingdom where you could barely walk a block without seeing an image of her face. Unless they have moved over to Vale years ago, or had just been living under a rock, it was

They knew who she was.

Pyrrha suddenly felt as though a weight was pressing heavily upon her shoulders, an uncomfortable pressure forming in her chest. Her closely guarded secret, the life that she had tried to desperately to escape by leaving her home kingdom was nipping at her heels.

"Hey, Pyrrha was it?" Sun greeted, reaching out to shake her hand with a wink. "Nice to meet you."

Pyrrha bit her lip, glancing away from Sun's knowing look nervously. The rest of the party watched on, confused by Pyrrha's hesitance, wondering what Sun had said to make her seem uncomfortable. Even Jaune, who was probably not the most observant person in the room, saw something unusual in their exchange, an unspoken message traded between the two.

"Wait, do you guys know each other something?" Jaune asked. It was possible. From what Yang had said about them, they had lived in the same kingdom, maybe they'd grown up in the same town.

"Well, not personally, no." Neptune replied, his answer cryptic.

"I'm… not quite following." Jaune said, narrowing his eyes. He wasn't entirely what these guys were implying, but he didn't like it. They were acting as if they knew something about Pyrrha that he didn't, which Jaune doubted it. They might have known her growing up, but Pyrrha was his best friend, they shared everything with each other.

"I'm surprised you don't know." "Although, I guess you guys are from Vale. She obviously isn't as big over here as she is back home."

"What are you talking about?" Ren interjected calmly, noticing that his friend was getting agitated.

"Pyrrha's kind of a big deal in Mistral." Neptune explained. "She's something of a household name."

"What? That's ridiculous! There's no way that's true! Pyrrha would have told me. Right, Pyrrha?" Jaune's eyes widened as he turned to Pyrrha who was glancing downward, her hand clasping at her wrist, anxiously. He trailed off, his stomach churning uncomfortably. Everything they were saying. It wasn't true was it?

"Pyrrha," he prodded, whose eyes lifted. They were glassy and stained with guilt, drawn reticently to the side of the room. The lump constricting Jaune's throat clenched tighter as she struggled to hold his gaze. Her words, soft and

"Jaune, I'm sorry."

The conversation lulled into silence, Ruby, Blake, Yang, Ren and Nora all exchanging puzzled, concerned looks with one another. Sun and Neptune stood to the side, awkwardly shuffling on their feet, remorse setting in over what they had said. They hadn't meant to upset anyone, they were just trying to be friendly. They hadn't realised that bringing up Pyrrha's fame would cause a problem.

"Wait a minute!" Ruby cried suddenly, her voice startling everyone. "Now I remember where I know you from! I watched your fights in the Mistral Regional Tournament!"

"That's right!" Yang exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "Ruby was drooling over your weapon the entire time. It was pretty cool though."

"Oh!" Nora called excitedly. "That was you?!"

"Hey, you know what, Pyrrha," Jaune began with a sigh. "Why don't I show you around? We can talk in my room."

He took her by the hand, leading her away from the crowd of people that had steadily been growing larger and more stifling. Pyrrha did not resist, her body pulling along limply, as she gazed blankly ahead. How had it happened? How could this be possible? She had been so careful! She had travelled so far away from home, yet it had all caught up to her.

Jaune pulled the door closed behind him, exerting a little bit more force than necessary. Ren and Nora exchanged worried glances, before the attention of the party immediately turned to Sun and Neptune.

Sun grimaced, his hand kneading nervously at the back of his neck.

"Did we- uh… Did we say something wrong?"

Just as Yang opened her mouth to speak, she was interrupted by a muffled cacophony of electronic drumbeats, auto-tuned voices and synthesizers blaring from her pocket; a club-mix of Jeff Williams' "I Burn". She recognised the tune as her ringtone and stopped to retrieve her scroll from her pocket.

"Huh, that's strange." She said, glancing down at the caller ID before looking up at Ruby. "I've got a bunched of missed calls from dad. Did he try and reach you today?"

Ruby shrugged. "My scroll died at worked today and I haven't had a chance to charge it since. So, I wouldn't know."

"Actually Ren, do you mind if I-" Ruby asked, reaching into her pocket and retrieving a charger.

"Sure, go right ahead." He said, nodding towards one of the outlets above the kitchen countertop.

"He's probably just worried about us, what with all those riots that have been breaking out the city." Yang said, rolling her eyes fondly. While she and Ruby both loved their father dearly, he did, at times, tend to be a bit overprotective.

"Still, I should probably find out what's up. I'll be back in a second." She added, dialling Taiyang's number and stepping out into the hall to take the call.

The door closed behind Yang with a dull thud, silence consuming the room once again. The soft murmur of Jaune's voice could be heard travelling through the cracks in his doorframe as he spoke to Pyrrha. Though they wanted to respect Jaune's privacy and understood the conversation he was having with Pyrrha was personal, his friends couldn't help but strain their ears unconsciously, trying to make out what was being said. It was understandable to an extent, at least in the case of Ren, Nora, Ruby and Blake. They were concerned for their friend, and still trying to make sense of what exactly had just happened. Their curiosity got the better of them.

Closing his eyes, Ren allowed the quiet to wash over him, clearing his head. He re-opened them after a moment, before glancing at the wireless speakers they had been using to play music. Wordlessly, his reached out to turn the volume knob, the abrupt blast of bass and distortion startled the rest of the room's occupants back to attention and drowning out the voices of Jaune and Pyrrha as they spoke. Nora's eyes met his own and she nodded at him with a knowing smile.

The uncomfortable silence dissipated somewhat, and the relaxed atmosphere of the party returned. That is, until Yang stepped back inside a moment later, the door creaking in a harsh, pained scream. Her scroll hung loosely in her grip, as she gazed ahead emptily. Her eyes were wide, almost haunted.

"Ruby." Yang's voice was hoarse, lacking its usual clarity and strength, red rings marred the whites of her eyes. Her posture was hunched slightly, her entire body suddenly appearing drained and defeated.

"Yang?" Ruby asked, looking to her sister in concern. Her eyes widened as she took in the form of the young woman. Reaching out, she placed her hands on Yang's shoulders. "Yang, what's the matter? Have you been crying?"

Yang shook her head, sniffing loudly. She turned to the side, trying to look away, not wanting Ruby to have to see her like this.

For as long as she could remember; as early as the day her younger sister had been born; Yang had sworn to never cry. It had remained a vow that she upheld, until this day.

She hadn't cried when she'd broken her arm falling out of a tree outside their home in Patch, she hadn't cried when she and Ruby had gotten lost in the woods and almost attacked by a pack of beowolves, she hadn't even cried when she had to forfeit her first martial arts tournament after pulling a muscle in the middle of a fight. Despite the frustration the knowledge that her months and months of training had all been for nothing, she held herself together.

She hadn't cried since the day she woke up to find that her mother had left, without so much as a goodbye.

From that day forth, Yang had sworn that she would stray strong, that she would be the support, and pillar of strength for Ruby, that she herself had been robbed from a young age. She would stay strong for her sister, shelter her from fear and pain, even in the midst of one the most painful and confusing times of her life.

Yet, on that night, Yang couldn't help but cry. For now, she would have to hurt the person she had always strived to nurture and protect. She had to impart the news that would shatter her in the worst way imaginable. She would learn that, tragically, no matter how hard she tried, nor how firmly she stood, there were simply some things that Yang could not shield her sister from.

"Ruby. Ruby, it's your mom. Aunt Summer, she-"

Ruby's eyes widened at the mention of her mother's name, her stomach clenching as the wind was ripped from her body in one sharp, painful exhale. The words caught in Yang's throat and she shuddered.

"She's dead."

_I wasn't dreaming when they told me you were gone_

_I was wide awake and feeling that they had to be wrong_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: …and you can't get mad at me because it's canon.
> 
> This chapter took a little bit longer than usual. Got caught up with work and assignments again. Sorry if anything comes across as rushed, I was becoming a little impatient and really just wanted to get this finished.
> 
> Never thought I'd be writing a scene with Cyril in it when I first started this story. I mainly used him because I'm too lazy/self-critical to come up with my own OCs. Gonna be interesting writing someone who hasn't even physically appeared in the show yet. Oh well.
> 
> I also may have snuck a reference to Aquafish's story _Shine_ in here too. Any of you manage to pick up on that? :D
> 
> As always, hope you enjoyed this, and please keep your feedback coming. I really appreciate it.


	6. Chapter 6

It was cold in Patch when Ruby woke up, the morning chill a sign of the season's changing.

She shivered, her body folding on itself and burrowing deeper underneath her mess of blankets, in the hopes of staying warm. The bitter cold had kept her tossing and turning, sleepless throughout most of the night. Though, it hadn't been the sole reason for her restlessness.

Every time Ruby closed her eyes, it seemed that they were there, lying in wait for her. The memories from the night before, when she had found out that her mother was gone. She could hear the small, strangled voice of her sister and see the hurt in her eyes as she struggled to find a way to explain what had happened.

In waking, a fragile, more innocent part of her couldn't help but hope that she had just been pulled from a horrible dream. That she would leave the room to find her mother's loving, smiling face, the same one that had comforted and protected her from nightmares like those, ever since she had been a little girl.

Ruby's eyes fluttered open slowly, blearily adjusting to the morning light that broke through the window. She glanced around as the grogginess dissipated, slowly allowing her to process her surroundings.

She was in her old room, miles away from Vale.

From down the hall, Ruby make out the familiar, comforting voices of her father and uncle, speaking softly to one another. Though, they seemed hollow and sad. Lacking in a distinct warmth and reassurance she had come to associate with them, something that had always been able to cheer her up when she was younger.

Kicking the sheets away from her body, Ruby flinched as she set her feet against the cold, wooden floor. She moved towards her bedroom door with slow, methodical steps, careful to not make a sound. Her hand clasped the door handle, turning it cautiously, opening it enough to allow the voices to flow in more clearly.

Her uncle spoke first, his gruff voice solemn and carefully probing.

"Listen, Tai..." he said "I know this can't be easy for you talk about, but I need you to help me understand. What happened with Summer last night?"

Ruby's eyes widened, her chest lurching uncomfortably at the mention of her mother's name. Unconsciously, she found herself drawing closer, straining her ears to listen more intently. She could hear her father releasing a harsh, shaking breath.

"It was the White Fang rallies in the city," Taiyang began, his voice strained. "She was working on crowd control that night and things... got out of hand. They were able to call in backup to help contain them, but by the time it arrived... It was already too late."

Taiyang's voice lowered gradually, before eventually trailing off completely; suddenly no longer feeling the need or desire to elaborate. Qrow nodded earnestly, understanding, not wanting to push him too far beyond what he was comfortable speaking about. Taiyang's words lingered, as the two took their time to process their significance. The loss of a mother, a loved one, a friend.

"Have you been able to get hold of Raven?" Taiyang asked.

"I've tried my best, Tai, believe me. But you know as well as I do that it's not that simple."

"She won't respond to any of my messages. I thought that, as her brother, you might have a better chance."

Qrow moved to his feet, steps echoing off of the wooden floor. He walked towards the far window, pausing to glance out of it, still unresponsive. His silence compelled Taiyang to continue, his tone bitter.

"Surely, it can't be too much to ask that she take a moment out of her schedule for Summer, when she spent the better part of her life helping to raise her daughter! At a time like this, don't you think that Raven should at least be there for Yang?"

A sharp, metallic scraping broke through the room as Qrow loosened the lid on his flask. His swig was deep, almost deliberately so; as if allowing himself pause for thought.

"Of course I do, Tai, and I understand that you're upset. I'll try my best to get hold of her, I promise." Qrow moved towards Tai, clasping a hand on the other man's shoulder. "After all we've been through together, I'm sure she'd want nothing more than to pay her respects to Summer."

"Dad? Uncle Qrow?" Ruby ventured hesitantly, slowly stepping out from her bedroom.

"Ruby?" Taiyang exclaimed, standing to his feet. "You're up!"

Ruby hadn't considered that it would be hard for her to face her father. The man who had always been so warm and exuberant around her, showering both her and Yang unconditionally with love.

She hadn't had the time to think about how he might be taking the loss of Summer, how badly it was effecting him.

He suddenly looked much older, dark black splotches lingering beneath his eyes. His shoulders hunched under the weight of the past day and his body seeming about ready to give out on itself. It must have been hard for him. Even though, she was blind to the details, Ruby knew that this wasn't the first time he had lost a loved one. She had heard the stories of Yang's mother and how she had left, without a word, years ago.

Qrow stood at her father's shoulder, his eyes sad and sympathetic, despite the familiar, fond twist in his lips.

"How are you feeling, kid?" He asked, lowering his head to her height.

"I- I've been better." Ruby said honestly, glancing downward. She answered honestly, though her voice was small, barely breaking over the stillness of the room. Taiyang rested his hands on her shoulders, gently coaxing her to look back at up him.

"I know how hard this must be for you to have to deal with, Ruby. It's going to take some time to process. But the important thing is that we have each other. You, Yang, your uncle and I: we're all going to get through this together."

"A-alright."

"I'm just glad that you're here now." Taiyang murmured, as he pulled Ruby close, stroking his hand through her hair.

Ruby swallowed as she leant into her father's embrace, trying to push down the sadness constricting her throat. She could feel the warm pinprick of tears caressing her face, slowly trickling down towards her neck. The sting in her eyes built, her vision blurring, as she realised that they weren't her own.

.

"Hey, this is Ruby's scroll... Well, not actually her scroll, it can't talk obviously, this is just a recording of me... Ruby. Uh- Anyway, I can't talk right now, so leave a message and I'll get back to you soon! Thanks, bye!"

Jaune could feel his throat tightening as he listened to Ruby's voicemail, a moment from her life before it had been riddled by such a tragedy. He cleared his throat, hoping to fight the quiver that threatened to enter his voice.

"Hey Ruby, it's Jaune..." He began, trailing off as he tried to gather the appropriate words. "Listen, Ren and Nora told me about what happened last night, and I... I'm really sorry. I know how close you were to your mom. Look, I know there isn't really much I can say to make you feel better. Right now, you probably just need to time alone to recover and process everything that's happened. But... I just want you to know that I'm here for you. We all are. And if you ever need to vent or whatever, I'm always happy to lend an ear, okay? Just stay strong. You'll be able to get through this, I know you will."

Ending the call, Jaune set his scroll down on the counter with a sigh, cradling his face in his hands.

Ruby and Yang left last night while he was talking to Pyrrha, before he had even found of what was happening. Now Ruby wasn't answering her scroll.

He was worried about her. He could always opt to call Yang, but he imagined he wouldn't have much luck there either. Besides, even she answered, it wouldn't feel the same. He needed to hear it from Ruby.

He needed to know that she was okay.

Jaune shook his head with a scowl, what a ridiculously, naive thought. Clearly, it was obvious that she wouldn't be.

Jaune hadn't known what to believe when he'd Ren and Nora had first told him about what happened to Ruby's mother. It just didn't seem had heard of tragedies like this before, there were stories like them every day in the news, but because they were rarely close by and didn't involve people he personally knew, it was easier for Jaune to detach himself from them. The impact of the news never really registered for him.

It wasn't until he saw the bulletin that was run the next morning, making the news official. The story detailing riots breaking out during the White Fang rally, the violence escalating to the point that lives were taken. Those listed among the casualties including police officer, Summer Rose.

"Jaune?" He glanced up to see Pyrrha making her way out of his room, her hair loose and dishevelled.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune exclaimed, startled. He had almost forgotten that she was still here.

After what they'd found out about Ruby's mom last night, Jaune had been worried about Pyrrha walking home. For all he knew, it could have still been dangerous on the streets. He had mentioned this to her and suggested that she stay with them for the night and Pyrrha had agreed. If, for nothing other, than the sake of his peace of mind.

"Good, uh- good morning."

"Morning," she murmured, balancing elegantly on her toes as she stretched herself out. "You're up early."

"Yeah, well- I couldn't really sleep that well."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Pyrrha frowned. "You didn't have to give up your bed, you know. I would've been more than willing to sleep on the couch."

"It's fine Pyrrha," Jaune answered, his eyes downcast. "That- That's not what I was talking about."

"Oh." Pyrrha stated, her eyes widening in realisation. She glanced downward, one hand clasping at her wrist, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologise, Pyrrha. I'm... I'm just worried. I haven't been able to get a hold of her since last night, I didn't even get to see her... I just want to see how she's doing."

Pyrrha closed the distance between them with a sad smile, her hands resting on his shoulders. Jaune's eyes drooped closed slowly, leaning closer into her touch. Her caress was gentle, soothing him.

"I understand how you feel, Jaune," She said. "But you shouldn't but so hard on yourself. I don't think there is much you can do to help Ruby in this situation. It's something she's going to come to terms with and grieve in her on way."

"I know," he answered, glancing at her over his shoulder. "I just can't believe this happened to Ruby, of all people. She was going to Beacon and be in the police because she wanted to help people, just like her mom. She's the last person who deserves to have something like this happen to her."

Pyrrha watched Jaune sadly, casting her gaze to the other side of the room. "You're right. It really isn't fair."

.

_Pyrrha bit her lip, her eyes drawn almost magnetically to the floor as Jaune led her into his room, pulling her inside with an abrupt stop. She made no effort to fight out of his grasp, despite possessing the strength to do so, still stunned by the sudden uprooting of her most carefully guarded secret._

_Jaune closed the door behind him in one deft, forceful motion and Pyrrha winced beneath at the harsh sound, before silence filtered through the room once more. It was not like the lapses in conversation they had shared before. This appeared all-consuming and palpable, born of a discomfort between the two._

_It was overwhelming, palpable enough for Pyrrha to make out the sound of her own dull heartbeat against her chest, gradually growing more erratic and unstable as her anxiety built. It compelled her desperately to speak, to fill this gaping void between them with something, anything. Yet, no matter how she tried, Pyrrha couldn't find her voice. It was strangled, constricted by the lump resting heavily in the back of her throat._

_Without words to assist her, Pyrrha felt compelled to reach out to Jaune, hoping that perhaps her touch may calm his agitated movement. Yet she was afraid that he might pull away from her. She was still shy and apprehensive about initiating contact between them. Pyrrha tried to distract herself by glancing around his room, making a conscious effort to look anywhere but directly at him._

_She recognised the far corner of the room, directly across from his computer monitor. The shelf stacked with CDs and comic books, the familiar posters lining the wall. It was a sight she'd come to know over the past few years, usually able to see it in the background of his camera whenever they spoke over video calls. If she wasn't so distracted, so concerned with trying to decipher the expression crossing Jaune's face, she might have been comforted by the familiar sight._

_Jaune raked a hand deftly through his hair, as he paced back on forth, trying to gather his thoughts. There were a flurry of questions swimming through his head, yet he couldn't seem to settle on one. He wasn't even sure where to begin. Pyrrha sat on the edge of his bed, watching him. Her bottom lip remained caught between her teeth as she glanced anxiously toward the other side of the room._

_"Is it true?" Jaune managed eventually, his pace halting as he turned to her. Pyrrha drew in a slow, calming breath, gathering the strength to look back up at him. It was out in the open now. There was no point in trying to hide it anymore._

_"Yes," She answered honestly, the words sticking uncomfortably in her throat. Jaune's eyes widened, and Pyrrha couldn't ignore the pang of guilt in her chest, as she registered the hurt in them._

_"But- Is that why you would never talk about your work?"_

_Pyrrha winced at the crack in Jaune's voice, but nodded. He didn't answer her, instead turning away with a sigh, before pacing the circumstance of his room once more. Pyrrha wrung her hands together nervously._

_"I'm sorry, Jaune. I didn't mean to be dishonest with you."_

_"Then why didn't you ever tell me?" He asked, looking back to her. "Didn't you think I'd be able to keep a secret?"_

_"It's not that, Jaune." She answered. "I'm sure you wouldn't have told anyone. That wasn't why I kept this from you… I suppose that part of me was worried that it might somehow change things between us."_

_"What you made you think that was going to happen?" Jaune asked, his voice softening as he sat beside her on the bed. He glanced directly at her, his expression smouldering, serious._

_Pyrrha felt lighter underneath his gaze, her skin warming. She could tell from eyes, there was genuine interest and concern for her there. It was flattering, yet the notion of exposing a private, more vulnerable part of herself, even to someone she trusted as deeply as she did Jaune, did not come easily to Pyrrha. It was unnerving and unfamiliar._

_She glanced down at her lap as she spoke, finding it easier to continue that way._

_"I don't know…" She answered honestly. "Back home, I'd almost forgotten what it was like to have what you do with Ruby, or Ren, or Nora: a genuine, real bond with someone else... But being able to talk with you, and be your friend finally changed all of that. It was something so precious, something that I had longed for, for as long as I could remember. Once I finally had it, I was afraid that it might be taken away."_

_"Look, I'm sorry if I overreacted earlier." Jaune said. "I just... wasn't thinking straight. But you don't have to worry about that… About us. It would take a lot more than something like that to change the way I feel about you. Not after all you've done, all the times that you were there for me, and believed in me... no matter what happens, you're still Pyrrha. You'll always just be Pyrrha to me."_

_"Jaune." Pyrrha answered softly, her hand resting against her chest. She smiled bashfully at him, their eyes locking._

_Silently, Jaune's hand reached towards her own. His fingers brushed against hers tentatively, but they didn't make any attempt to grasp them. Pyrrha smiled the apparent nervousness of his gesture. It was endearing and to a degree, frustrating to her, that he wasn't quite confident enough to take the initiative. Her fingers curled around Jaune's slightly, coaxing him to take her hand completely._

_Her chest stammered as the warmth and strength of Jaune's hand surrounded her own with sudden, newfound courage. Spurred on, seemingly, by her encouragement. It was humbling to see the influence that she had over Jaune, and the confidence that she could instil in him._

_Feeling her heartbeat pulse throughout her entire body, Pyrrha moved closer, taking the time to rest her head against his shoulder. She almost pulled away when she felt his body tense up, dread building in the pit of her stomach as she wondered if perhaps she had ventured too far. He relaxed after a moment, adjusting his position on the bed and allowing her to lean more comfortably against him._

_Pyrrha's eyes fluttered closed, and her breathing evened out to a contented, lulling rhythm. She felt as though all the concern and apprehension that had weighed her down earlier began to steadily lift away. With her eyes closed, it was hard to tell, but she could've sworn she felt Jaune lean closer into her. The feeling of the tips of his hair bruising against her ear, his warm breath stroking her skin._

_"Do you think you're ready to go back out and see the others again?" Jaune murmured after a moment._

_Pyrrha opened her eyes, her head lifting begrudgingly from his shoulder. She blinked, clearing the mist from her eyes, readjusting to the brightness of his room._

_"Of course."_

_Jaune offered her his hand as he stood to his feet, which she accepted with a warm smile and moved to walk alongside him._

_"Sorry about that guys," Jaune began, stepping back out into the living room. "We just needed to-"_

_Jaune trailed off as he noticed that the room was empty, his friends and the life that had once occupied it absent. He exchanged a brief of confusion look with Pyrrha, who apparently similarly puzzled._

_"Hello?" He called, stepping out further and glancing around. Nora and Ren were waiting in silence, sitting alone on the couch._

_"Nora, Ren." Jaune acknowledged, moving towards them. They turned to look up at him, their faces blank. "Where is everyone? Ruby? Yang?"_

_"They… They had to leave." Nora answered in an uncharacteristically soft tone._

_"What are you talking about? Why?" The urgency in Jaune's voice rose, suspecting that something was wrong. Nora glanced away, her face twisting. Jaune could help but notice his heartbeat skipping erratically._

_"Jaune, calm down." Ren's spoke, his voice level and measured as always, managing to steady the panic building in Jaune's chest. Jaune turned to his friend, hoping that he could rely on him for a clear answer._

_"Ren. What's going on?"_

_It was when Ren faltered, the words dying on his lips, that Jaune felt anxiety beginning to coil in his gut. Ren might not have been the most verbose person, but whenever he did speak, his words were delivered carefully and succinctly. He rarely stumbled over them._

_And while he wasn't particularly emotive, the smallest, most seemingly imperceptible shift in his expression revealed volumes as to what he was feeling. The flash of dread in his eyes had been brief, but hadn't gone unnoticed by Jaune._

_"Yang got a call from their dad." Ren began gradually. "'It's Ruby's mom… she was in accident."_

_Jaune froze, looking to Ren with wide, uncertain eyes, unsure as to what he had just heard. The words coursed through him, alien, completely unfamiliar; the weight they carried too much to process. It just didn't seem real. Beside him, Pyrrha held her hand up to her mouth, the breath leaving her body in a sharp exhale._

_Jaune tried to open his mouth to speak, but it seemed locked in place; his body rigid. The questions remained caught in the recesses of his mind. What was going on? What had happened in the short time they had been gone? Yet, even if he had found his voice, Ren couldn't have answered him. He was as in the dark as they were._

_All they were left with was the sound of sirens blaring in the distance. Nora sat at the couch, hands covering her ears as Ren moved to clasp her shoulders, trying to comfort her._

.

Sun couldn't help but slow his pace as he passed Blake and Yang's apartment on his way down the hall, his head sinking as a steady flow of remorse travelled through him.

He was conflicted. Concerned, on the one hand, about the girls and feeling compelled to check on them. Yet, on the other, conscious that could possibly come across as intrusive, or crossing some kind of boundary. They had only just met recently, after all, and he didn't want to bother them during such a difficult, personal time.

Yet, he couldn't help but recall how distraught Yang had been, having to be the one to break such terrible news to her sister. How Blake, despite obviously doing her best to remain outwardly composed, appeared similarly upset, if the pained looked in her eyes was anything to go off of, the almost imperceptible quiver in her once level voice. The memories were troubling him.

At the very least, he felt that he should offer them some measure of comfort, as a sign of his appreciation for how far they had gone to try and make him and Neptune feel welcome.

His hand held in a closed fist indecisively, hovering mere inches away from it. He swallowed, his eyes closing tightly as his hand rapped solidly against the door.

It opened cautiously, as guarded, amber eyes peered through the gap. Sun winced, anxiously, suddenly wondering if he had perhaps made a mistake.

"Yes?" Blake asked, watching him suspiciously.

"Hey Blake, it's Sun." He answered slowly, carefully, as if afraid he might startle her. "We met at the party last night?"

Her eyes, so mysterious and captivating, continued to penetrate him. Sun's hand rubbed at the back of his neck, somewhat uneasy beneath her gaze. Gradually, the initial hesitance lighting her eyes gave way to recognition.

"Right, I remember." She answered, and took a step back from the door, opening it further, exposing more of herself to him. Sun's head dipped slightly to the side, his eyes trailing over her wistfully.

"Are you doing okay?" He asked, offering a small, sympathetic smile.

"Not really." Blake admitted honestly, knowing that it was helpless to lie. The unease seeping through her already beginning to take a toll on her body. The angry cracks of red lining the whites of her eyes, the dark splotches marring the pale skin beneath them.

"I didn't sleep so well last night."

"Right." Sun nodded, understanding. "It must have been hard for you."

It really had been. In more ways than Blake cared to express.

The death of her friend's mother alone was frightening enough, but last night, Blake had also been exposed, once more, to just how much stronger and more dangerous the White Fang was becoming.

It had been unsettling enough for her to hear stories of their members using force to threaten and intimidate innocent bystanders. Those were people she had no connection to and could distance herself from. Yet, now, it seemed as though that the organisation she fled, all those years ago, was slowly working its way back into her life, hurting the people that she loved the most.

It couldn't help but make a darker, more cynical part of Blake wonder if Summer's death had really just been a coincidence. Something that was, in the eyes of the White Fang, necessary bloodshed. Or had she been specifically targeted and killed in the hopes of sending a message? Was this his way of trying to get to her?

The more Blake dwelled on it, the more terrifying it become.

Yet still, she said nothing.

"Listen," Sun continued, blissfully unaware. "I know it's probably not any of my business, but how's Ruby doing?"

Blake looked down, her finger tracing the edge of the door frame.

"It- It's hard to say. It's obvious she took the news pretty badly, anyone would have. Honestly, when I heard the news, I expected her to break down. But, she didn't even react at all. It was almost as if she was completely numb."

"Is she in with you?" Sun asked, and Blake shook her head.

"She and Yang left for Patch last night, they took the first airship out. They're going home to be with their dad, and I imagine, to eventually start planning for the funeral."

"Look," Sun said, barely above a whisper. "I know it must be hard having to try and deal with this on your own Now that Ruby and Yang have left anyway. But if you ever need to let of some steam or vent, Neptune and I would be willing to listen. After all, you and your friends went to a lot of effort just to make us feel welcome. It's the least that we could do."

"Thank you, Sun..." She answered hesitantly, though he felt he could make out a degree of light and sincerity re-entering her voice. "Just- Not right now."

"I understand." Sun nodded. "Whenever you feel comfortable, just give me the word."

He lifted two fingers, waving them lazily to her as he turned away.

"We can get some coffee or something, my treat."

The hint of a smile pulled at Blake's lips as he walked away, her voice carrying out into the hall.

"Only if I can have tea instead."


	7. Chapter 7

It relieved Ruby to see that Yang was finally getting some rest.

It hadn't been a peaceful slumber. She could tell from the way her sister's body was twisted at an odd, uncomfortable angle; the sheets coiled around her feet. But it was a start, at least.

After Ruby had fallen asleep on their way to Patch, her father had carried her into her room, putting her to bed. In the morning, he told Ruby about how Yang had stayed up throughout the night, watching over her, without saying a word.

She must have been exhausted.

There was restraint in Ruby's movement as her fingers stretched for Yang's hand. Her touch was feather light, afraid that even the slightest disturbance would wake her sister.

Ruby could tell that the entire ordeal had weighed heavily upon Yang, perhaps almost as much as it had her. It was written on her face. The skin beneath her eyes was blotchy, stained by the tears she had shed.

It was understandable that she would be in so much pain.

Yang had loved Ruby's mother. After the loss of her own, Summer had helped to fill a void that had formed inside of Yang. She had offered an ear; allowing her to vent her frustration; supporting her, guiding through her one of the most difficult times in her life.

Yang had been hesitant about opening up at first, having been burnt in the past, but slowly with time, she allowed Summer in. But now, she had had another mother-figure torn away from her, in a manner that was just as abrupt and confusing as it had been the first time around.

Ruby rested her head against the foot of the mattress, taking comfort in the soothing rhythm of her sister's steady breath. She wanted nothing more than to rid her mind of those horrible thoughts from last night; to lie completely still and just forget about the rest of the world.

Yet she couldn't.

The ache was still too fresh, the pain too intense to completely ignore.

It needed more time to heal.

However long that would take, she still wasn't too sure.

The thing that stung the most for Ruby, was something that had become made abundantly clear to her after last night.

The realisation that no matter how diligently she trained at Beacon; no matter how hard or desperately she fought; there were always going to be factors beyond her control. There were always going to be some people that she couldn't protect; people that she loved hurt, or taken away from her.

In her quest to make it into Beacon, Ruby had focused solely on how the Academy would be a means for her to help those in need. It had been a simpler, idealistic dream; an idea that she had romanticised since she was a child. Being a hero, just like her parents before her.

Yet now, she realised that the consequence of wanting to save lives, was being inevitably exposed to the darker, more violent nature of the world. It's danger, something that she never really considered in detail before.

Ruby knew that, at some point, she might find herself in a similiar position to the one her mother had faced last night. A matter of life or death. In some cases, complete strangers, people who were loved, would place their life and faith in her hands.

It was a scary thought.

She just hoped that she could become strong enough, in case she ever had to live through something similar. In case she one day had to come to terms with her own failure to save a life.

At the sound of the bedroom door creaking open slowly, Ruby's head rose, her eyes resting blearily on the figure that entered.

"Hey there, kid." The gravelly voice spoke, as Ruby rubbed at her eyes. The haze cleared from her vision, the image of Qrow standing before her gradually becoming clearer.

"Uncle Qrow?"

Qrow entered the room without an answer, his footsteps drawing closer before he stopped at the side of the bed. His gaze trailed over Yang as she slept. Ruby could see his eyebrows knitting together, the concern he held for his niece crinkling across his face.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" She asked, believing, for a moment, that her uncle may be able to reassure her.

Qrow's eyes closed, as he released a ragged breath, taking a moment to carefully consider his words.

He didn't want to worry Ruby, but at the same time, he didn't feel comfortable about lying to her either. His niece could be a lot more perceptive than she let on. Qrow hadn't even had a chance to speak with Yang yet, and had no way of knowing where her head was after Summer's death. Anything he said at this point was purely speculation.

Nevertheless, he knew that there was nothing to gain from letting any doubt fester in Ruby's heart. She had already been through enough and was depending on him for support. Qrow turned to Ruby after a moment, kneeling down and ruffling her hair fondly.

"With you looking out for her, I'm sure she'll be fine." He smiled.

Ruby's eyes narrowed at her uncle, not convinced that his aswer had been entirely honest. Yet she was feeling too tired, too emotionally drained to press any further. With a sigh, Ruby glanced out of Yang's room and into the hallway.

The house seemed unusually still, even considering the solemn atmosphere that had set in on it. Something didn't seem quite right.

"Where's dad?" Ruby asked, her lip caught between her teeth. She was somewhat hesitant to ask, having overheard them exchanging words earlier about Yang's mother, Qrow's sister. She wasn't exactly sure if they were on good terms right now.

"He went to take Zwei for a walk..." Qrow answered, his back to her. "Said something about needing to clear his head."

Ruby nodded, her lips pursing as she thought of her father. She knew this couldn't have been easy on him either. He was still struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife, while trying to remained strong for his children, who he knew were also hurting.

Ruby wanted to be there for her father. Yet, at the same time, she also didn't want to leave Yang alone. What if her sister woke up while she was gone? Yang had stayed with her the entire time she'd been asleep, it was only fair that she return the favour.

As if sensing her concern, Qrow rested his hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at him in surprise.

"Don't worry about a thing, kiddo." He reassured her softly. "I'll hold down the fort for you. I have a couple of things I'd like to talk to Yang about anyway... Only if she's up to it, that is."

"Go see your dad. He's been so concerned lately with looking after you two that I think it's about time someone made sure that he was okay, don't you think? After all, in times like these, we all need to look out for each other. It's not a responsiblity that should fall on just one person's shoulders."

Ruby glanced back at her uncle, his words slowly washing over her. She felt her sombre expression break momentarily, lifting in a soft smile.

"Thanks Uncle Qrow," she answered, moving to wrap her arms around him gratefully.

Ruby lowered herself from the bed, taking a moment to stop and hug her sister's sleeping form tightly, silently promising that she would be back shortly.

Saying goodbye to Qrow, she moved quickly out into the hallway, wanting to find her father as quickly as possible. Slipping on her hood, Ruby shivered as she stepped outside into the winter air. The breeze bit at her shoulders, rustling the bright red fabric at her back and tickling her spine. Still she carried on walking, refusing to let the weather deter her.

Her footsteps carried her unconsciously, a route she had travelled so many times before that it was engrained into her muscle memory. It was not a track or any noticeable landmark that guided her, but rather a sense of familiarity that drew her closer.

The place where she knew she would find her father.

Soft orange hues tinged the sky, as she approached, the sun setting beneath a smattering of clouds. The wind carried in a calm, lulling whisper, the surrounding area silent and still enough that it remained a constant, unbroken voice.

Her father stood at the edge of the escarpment, glancing vacantly over the horizon, his back to her. Zwei's leash hung loosely in his grip, as the dog wandered in aimless circles at his feet. Having noticed Taiyang did not seem to plan on walking him any further, he entertained himself by sniffing curiously at the earth beneath him.

With a shaking breath, Ruby swallowed. The sight, the familiar comfort and beauty she attributed to her home, was enough to put Ruby's heart at ease for the moment, dulling the pain that once cut at it.

Ruby could recall, quite clearly, the first time her family had brought her here. It was one of her earliest memories. The day when she had watched wide-eyed, her young mind captivated, completely in awe of the rolling, seemingly never-ending stretch of hills before them. They reached far beyond what her eyes could make out, the wonder, the sheer vastness of the world that they lived in suddenly becoming apparent to her.

It struck her as surprising now that regardless of how much time passed, this small piece of land remained largely unchanged.

Not wanting to disturb her father, Ruby turned away, believing that it might be best to allow moment alone. She could always talk to him later. As she tried to sneak off unnoticed, she was startled by the sound of his voice.

"Your mother always loved this view." Taiyang spoke softly, his voice barely carrying over the wind. "It was one of the reasons why we decided make a home here. I think it only makes sense that she should stay here... With the people she loved the most. That way, she'll always be able to watch over us."

"I- I think she'd like that."

"I'm glad to hear it..."

Glancing downward, Ruby fidgetted nervously with her hands. It was an abrupt sense that overtook her, a feeling of guilt. As though she was intruding, violating the mometary sanctuary her father had found. It was a ridiculous thought; seeing as Taiyang had been the one to acknowledge her; yet one she couldn't seem to push down.

It took Ruby a moment before she could summon the courage to continue speaking.

"Dad, I- Earlier today, before I came out of my room, I heard you and Uncle Qrow talking, and..." Ruby paused briefly, clearing her throat, as she noticed her father body tense up.

"I know it didn't really involve me, but I'm worried about Yang... and. Well, I've always wanted to know... What happened to Yang's mom? Why did she leave both of you?"

"Honestly Ruby, I wish I knew how to answer that." Taiyang said with a heavy sigh."But the truth is, after all this time, I'm still not entirely sure myself."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not exactly easy to explain..." Taiyang began, his voice trailing off as his gaze carried into the distance. Ruby watched him, curious; their conversation broken by a sudden lapse in thought

Blinking, Taiyang readjusted his grip on Zwei's leash before turning to walk back down the track from which he came. He beckoned for Ruby to follow him with a subtle dip of his head.

"Come on; why don't we head back inside? We can talk things over more in there."

Ruby steps were small and tentative as she followed behind him.

.

"Man, it sure got cold in a hurry." Jaune said, wrapping his arms around his chest. He rubbed his hands against one another swiftly, the friction warming his skin. "I'll bet you're still just getting used to this kind of weather, huh?"

Pyrrha smiled at Jaune's pleasant, albeit forced, attempt to combat the awkward, uncomfortable silence sullying the air around them. Anything that could steer their minds away from the tragedy that plagued Ruby and Yang's family last night was certainly appreciated.

Though, unfortunately, the break was fleeting.

Jaune sighed, noticing the unease that rested in Pyrrha's eyes despite his light-hearted comment; the feeling that she hadn't been able to quite conceal. It wasn't easy, trying to harness the energy to drive the conversation, especially with their thoughts and feelings were elsewhere.

"Hey," Jaune spoke, following a measured pause. His pace dragged abruptly to a stop, halting Pyrrha, drawing her eyes towards him in confusion. "Listen, I'm sorry about everything that happened last night. Things sure could have gone a lot better."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jtaune." Pyrrha said. "You don't need to apologise. Nothing that happened was your fault."

"I know, I just... I can't help but feel responsible for dragging you into all of this. You probably came here because you wanted to avoid drama, and all the extra attention."

"That's true, but... It's also partly because of me. I should have just been honest with you from the start, Jaune. I'm sorry I never told you."

"I know," Jaune chuckled. "You already said that. A few times, actually."

"S-sorry."

Jaune smiled. That endearing, familiar habit of Pyrrha's putting him at ease. There was a comfort and sincerity that came with being able to confront things like this together, without hesitance. Knowing that you could trust in the other person to treat your every feeling, or doubt with care.

Jaune's hands slipped into his pockets, as he began to move down the sidewalk at a steady, relaxed pace once again.

"Anyway, if it's any constellation, I think my friends really liked you. I'm sure they'd like to see you again..."

"I'm glad to hear that." Pyrrha answered, watching him from the corner of her eye. She frowned, noticing his eyebrowss furrow in concentration, while his hand fidgeted with something at his side.

"Is something wrong, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, bending her kness and moving closer towards him; trying to catch a glimpse of his expression. "You seem… distracted."

"I-I'm fine," he answered softly, averting her gaze. His eyes darted briefly down to the scroll still clenching t tightly against his palm.

"Jaune," Pyrrha sighed, reaching out and clasping his hand. His digits were locked around the device, rigid. "It's still only been a few hours, I'm sure they made to Patch in one piece. Ruby will call you if and when she feels up to it."

"Yeah..." Jaune answered, as if on instinct. His voice devoid of any genuine strength. "It's just- I can't seem to take my mind off of it. No matter how hard I try."

Pyrrha gaze sank, an unpleasant tightness forming in her chest. She knew there was nothing that she could really say or do to change what had happened with Ruby's mother. It was something that they had to accept.

Yet, knowing this, did nothing to alleviate the sad frustration that Pyrrha felt. The pain that came with seeing someone you cared for, facing hardship or distress, but feeling as though you were powerless to help them.

It was an unfamiliar sensation to her.

Knowing now that she could reach him, physically; distance no longer a hindering their relationship; Pyrrha stepped forward to rest her hand against Jaune's shoulder. She wanted to believe that maybe her presence could offer him some sense of comfort; to communicate something more than words alone.

Her lips ghosted gently against Jaune's cheek, in the faintest of touches. Despite the pleasant tingling that pulsed in her stomach, the overwhelming desire to continue, in the midst of their fleeting contact she quickly pulled away.

Pyrrha's face flushed as they separated, suddenly afraid that Jaune might not have appreciated the gesture. She could feel her eyes trailing downward in shame, as she was met with silence.

Pyrrha swallowed, suddenly concious of a tightness in er throat, an unpleasant churning in her stomach. Despite having worked up the courage to act on her feelings for him, Pyrrha was almost immediately overcome with regret as she gauged his reaction; sensing that perhaps she had made a mistake.

Jaune had not answered her, or shown any indication of what he felt, what her actions had awoken within him. Instead, the uncomfortable silence continued to slowly engulf her.

After what she had shared with Jaune last night, after he had accepted and comforted her so openly, Pyrrha had felt that perhaps their might be something more between them. Something beyond the friendship; as treasued and as intimated as it had been. She had wanted to believe so, anyway. Had she really been wrong?

As the shock that had overtaken Jaune ebbed away, his eyes fluttered open, as if having been pulled suddenly back into consciousness.

His heart began to race as he slowly registered what had just happened. The touch of Pyrrha's lips, so gentle and hesitant, at first, he wasn't even sure if he'd actually felt anything.

But, no. There had been a familiar quality to the sensation, something far too vivid to have been merely conjured up in his mind. It was a unique warmth, an essence that could only, unmistakeably be attributed to Pyrrha.

Jaune's face furrowed with a frown, as he noticed that the feeling was gone, that she had pulled away. Upset that the warmth of Pyrrha's body was abruptly torn from him and he was exposed to the winter chill once more, his eyes opened, seeking her out.

She was standing before him, her body folding in on itself protectively as her hand squeezed against her bicep. Jaune eyes widened, a sharp pang radiating through his stomach at the sight as panic gripped him. He had known Pyrrha long enough to recognise that gesture. The one that she unconsciously resorted to whenever she was anxious or upset. He couldn't understand, had he done something wrong?

"I- Thank you for walking me home, Jaune." Pyrrha whispered, a thin trail of mist carrying from her breath. Jaune swallowed, his eyes transfixed on her lips, suddenly overcome by the temptation to taste them against his own.

"I'll see you around." She spoke hastily, unable to stomach the thick air that was engulfing her. Wanting desperately to leave.

As Pyrrha was turning, about to walk back inside, Jaune seized the opportunity to move towards her. It was a rare moment of courage, spurred on by the intoxicating feeling she had awoken within him. Like a drug, it seemed to diminish the doubt and insecurity that might normally hinder his actions.

Jaune's hand reached out to clasp her wrist, halting Pyrrha in her steps. Her eyes widened as she glanced back towards him, the gasp that ripped from her throat muffled by the soft pressure of Jaune's lips melding against her own.

Jaune panicked, momentarily, as he felt her body stiffen with shock. The fleeting adrenaline that had moved him, fading, letting his doubt resurface and almost tempting him to pull away. However, his worries were eased by the sigh that broke from Pyrrha's lips and her hands surrounding his waist, as she pulled him closer.

.

He had done it.

Cyril could feel his heart accelerating, the beats pulsating against his clammy hands as he clutched the camera tightly to his chest. Swallowing, he glanced over the display, scrolling through the camera's memory to find the picture he had just taken.

He hadn't believed it at first, not until it had appeared before his eyes. Clear, concrete proof, solidifying the suspicions his boss had had.

The young man he had just photographed from across the street matched the one he'd seen in the picture earlier to a tee. Tall, blonde, scraggly. No question. It was him.

At the request of his boss, Cyril had tailed Miss Nikos to an apartment building in downtown Vale where she had stayed overnight. He had staked out the place well into the night, delirious from lack of sleep and growing frustrated, hoping that at least _something_ newsworthy could come out of this wild chase he had been sent on. He didn't want his efforts to be in vain. Especially, knowing that he was missing overseeing the White Fang rally; one of his top stories; across town for this.

His hopes were answered the next morning, when he spotted the two walking together, bidding farewell to one another in quite an amorous fashion.

And it was then that, suddenly, all the pieces, all the mystique surrounding Pyrrha Nikos fell into place.

It all made sense to him now.

Why, in the past, she seemed to dance carefully around questions about her relationship status. Why she had chosen to, not only, take on work in a completely different kingdom, but effectively uproot her entire life and move there, even if only temporarily. Surely, the working relationship she had established with the Schnee Company couldn't be her sole reason for going to such lengths.

The girl who, seemingly, could do wrong; always polite and well-spoken in interviews and public appearances, not a single scandal attached to her name. The young woman, with legions of adoring fans, who; as far as the general populace could tell; had never even looked at anyone in a romantic light, had been with a man in Vale all along; a relationship that she, apparently, wanted to keep out of the public eye.

Tucking his camera away, Cyril darted out from his hiding place, hailing a passing taxi. He balanced his scroll between the juncture of his shoulder and neck, as he got inside, knowing that he had to get in touch with the newsroom right away.

.

Blake's hand traced hesitantly over the white mask, an unsettling chill working its way down her spine. The material felt just as cold as she had remembered.

It struck her as odd that she had kept it. Tucked away, never to be looked at, for all those years; buried in a chest underneath her bed.

It only made sense to keep it hidden. If her friends saw it, it would raise questions. Questions about why she had a mask typically worn by an infamous, violent cult. Questions Blake wasn't entirely sure she was capable of answering.

No. It only made sense to keep it under lock and key. Her involvement with them was in the past. Ruby and Yang were part of the life she led now, and she didn't want those two lines to intersect.

Yet, at the same time, no matter how much she tried, Blake couldn't bring herself to throw the mask away.

It made may seemed unusual, but the White Fang still held a place in her heart. At least, what the White Fang had once been.

This mask, at one point, had represented her entire life's purpose. It made her feel as though she belonged somewhere. This mask had given her a home, and awoke a spark of optimism within her that she thought had died long ago. She had been told that she didn't have to accept the world as it was, that she, had the power within her to bring about change.

She wanted to hold onto the mask. If, for no reason other than to preserve the fond memories she still held of a wide-eyed, optimistic boy, who, in a lot of ways, had saved her life. A boy who believed that he could bring a difference to the world and possessed such resolve, such determination, that it made her believe in him too.

The mask served as a reminder of where she had come from, and where she was now. She had responsibility, friends, a place to call her home with people that she loved. No matter how low her life might sink, she knew that she had the willpower, the drive, to pull herself back up.

Yet, it was also indicative of all she had done that she had come, with time, to regret. She was not willing to completely let go and free herself of the burden and responsibility, but to remind herself of her past mistakes and shortcomings.

She still took it out, from time to time. Though, she had never imagined that she would actually wear it again.

Not until today.

As much as Blake had wanted to carry on ignoring them; after what had happened to Ruby's mother, she knew that it was no longer possibly. She had turned a blind eye for long enough, not wanting to intervene in something that she no longer considered a part of her life anymore.

But now that innocent lives had become involved, their voices seemed too loud to drown out. Their actions were becoming too widespread, causing to simply ignore. It had reached the point where something needed to be done.

She couldn't run away anymore.

She wouldn't.

Blake had been inside once before. Maybe if she went back, she could find out what was going on, what they were planning.

Maybe even put a stop to it.

She owed it to her friend. Not just because the White Fang's actions had led to the end of her mother's life, but because, above all, Ruby believed firmly in right and wrong, in protecting the innocent; values that Blake wanted to see upheld.

She needed to know what was going on, what they were planning to do next. It had been awhile since she had been a member. But as far as she could recall, they still held meetings each month to scour for new recruits and provide a mission statement for the coming weeks.

She knew that the rally they had just held would not be their last. If anything, it's possible they might view their recent hit against the police-force as a success, delivering their message in bold, red ink. A sign that they were a force of change, for better or for worse.

Word had gotten out about the White Fang. If anything, Blake imaged that they would be eager to plan their next step, if only to capitalise upon their recent impact. Now their message would hold much more weight.

They had made people fear them.

There was no way that she could ever forgive him.

He wasn't the man she looked up to anymore. The man who had raised her, the closest thing she had had to a family.

He wasn't the man she loved.

While there was a small, stubborn part of her that still believed she could save him, that there must have been some modicum of good left inside, it became harder and harder to believe with each passing day, with each increasingly alarming headline that graced the news.

How had that sweet, idealistic boy she'd once known become so cold?

In all honestly, Blake felt nervous. She wasn't sure of what dangers could possibly face her if she was caught. Growing up largely on the streets, she was more than capable of defending herself, but… alone in a room full of violent extremists? Her chances of coming out unscathed were looking less and less likely.

But Blake knew that she had to do this alone. She couldn't drag anyone else into it, it would be too dangerous. Besides, who would she ask if she even wanted to?

Yang and Ruby were in patch, and it was far from an appropriate time to ask them for help. Ren was far too practical to agree to such a reckless plan. Nora wasn't, but probably wouldn't want to go without him. And Jaune, well... Jaune might able to provide her with a better strategy, but ultimately, he was probably more trouble than he was worth. Her only option was to go alone.

Besides, she liked fighting alone. She had done it for most of her life. And this way, she was only responsible for herself.

Hopefully though, she would be safe.

It had been a long time and she was a completely different person. She wasn't a kid anymore. Even if she did stumble across one of her old brothers, it was unlikely that anyone would recognise her.

Not unless, of course, he was there.

Blake lifted the mask, cautiously and delicately adjusting it over her face.

 _Huh. Well, there you go._ She thought with a smirk. _It still fits._


	8. Chapter 8

Pyrrha wasn't entirely sure what had led her to this point in her life.

Having always lived in Mistral, she never imagined that she would one day find herself in Vale. There had never really been any reason for her to go. Mistral was where she had made her entire life; her family, her home.

She had never been one to believe in destiny. At least, not as a force that was beyond your control, leaving you stranded on a pre-determined path. There were simply too many variables that she had the potential to influence, too much power resting in her very hands. One seemingly minute decision could alter her path entirely.

She had seen herself first hand.

If she'd never agreed to take modelling jobs, she never would have found herself growing restless, waiting throughout the day between shoots. Had she not been overcome by this desire to make the time pass faster, she probably wouldn't have resorted to reading X-Ray and Vav comics. Had she not taken an interest in that series, to the extent that she was avidly following and talking about it online, she might not have ever met Jaune.

Still, regardless of what had drawn her here, to this exact, precise moment, Pyrrha knew that she was thankful. Thankful to have seen this part of the world. Thankful that this opportunity had presented itself. Thankful that this was how the chips had fallen for her.

As she stood in front of the door to Weiss' house, it was becoming increasily difficult to concentrate on unlocking the door as Jaune's arms surrounded her and he moved to kiss her neck.

She drew her head back, unconsciously offering more skin for him to lavish; caught at an impasse between the overbearing pleasure consuming her and her struggle to make it inside. She didn't want this private, affectionate moment to publicly showcased, after all!

Eventually, the door sprang open and the two stumbled clumsily inside, almost losing their balance. Despite slipping, they did not make any attempt to separate. Pyrrha nudged the door closed with her foot and pulled Jaune further in the house.

She gasped as he pressed her up against the wall, bracing her between the hard foundation and solid warmth of his chest. Her lips were caught against his and she was enraptured by a strength she had never known Jaune to possess.

There was an invigorating feeling coating her body in the heat of their exchange, like an adrenaline. She could feel her heartbeat pounding erratically, the reverberation building, travelling up through the shell of her ear. Though, she didn't feel nervous. For, in this new sensation, there was also a comfort, a familiarity in the person who was sharing it with her.

Pyrrha was chaste, inexperienced when it came to romantic endeavours. Yet, something that may have seemed daunting to her, with any other person, somehow, seemed perfectly natural with Jaune.

She trusted him.

It wasn't until she felt his tongue graze against her lip as her fingers worked their way beneath the hem of his hoodie, that her eyes flickered open with a start; as she became abruptly conscious of exactly where they were, and what they were doing.

Weiss could be back at any minute now, if she weren't home already, and Pyrrha wasn't entirely sure how she would be able to explain herself if they were caught in their current position. Not to mention, on a more serious note, they were still barely one day removed from the death of Ruby's mother. Jaune was yet to hear back from his friend, and she knew how sick with concern he felt. What they were doing... It just didn't seem very appropriate.

When Jaune had kissed her, as much as Pyrrha wanted to believe it was the grandieous moment in which he finally confessed his love for her, she knew how unlikely that was.

Jaune was feeling scared and confused. Surely, he was just turning to her for comfort in a moment of uncertainty; something he had offered her without question in the past. He may have come on too strong, but she could forgive him, given the headspace he was currently in. As much as it pained her, Pyrrha felt that they should stop, before things escalated too far. Before they reached a point from which there was no turning back.

"Jaune, wait!" She finally summoned the strength to gasped. The rational side of her managing to seep through the pleasure clouding her consciousness.

Jaune eyes widened at the desperation in her voice and he pulled away her deftly, a guilt and tension suddenly weighing upon his expression. Pyrrha frowned, not missing his reaction.

"W-what is it, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat, as if trying to mask his nerves.

"I just... Jaune, don't get me wrong." Pyrrha stammered, trying to collect her still clouded, hazy thoughts. "That was- But... Are you sure that this is okay?"

"W- why wouldn't it be?" Jaune ventured, his hand scratched at the back of his head, tousling his mop of hair even more. "It's just... We've known each other for so long, I thought things might be... I don't know, different."

Pyrrha eyes traced the pristine, white walls around them as she considered Jaune's words. He was right. Their relationship was different.

While they had considered each other friends for the longest time, she would be lying to if she said that she didn't harbour an unspoken attraction towards him. A desire for something more. It was part of what made this so difficult.

At an earlier point, when they lived apart, her feelings had seemed much easier to surpress. The distance between them had created a barrier that seemed impossible to breach. She could resign herself to accept that their situations, their very separate, very different lives would make it impossible for any romance between them to work. That it was simply not meant to be. But, that was fine, she was more than happy to be Jaune's friend.

That is, until the day she arrived in Vale.

Nothing more stood between them except the sheer euphoria, the rush of being there, within reach of one another. It was then that Pyrrha's feelings rose to surface, flaring more intensely than ever before. It was with a nervous sense of urgency, an invigoration that Pyrrha found herself with nowhere else to turn and no choice but to confront the feelings she held inside.

She understood that where she went from here, how she decided to act would ultimately shape their relationship from then on. They were teetering on the boundary between friendship and a greater unknown. It would only take one step in either direction to tip the scale. The thought alone seemed daunting, but she had been willing to take the risk.

Just, not like this.

"Oh." Jaune sighed after a moment, reading Pyrrha's silence as disagreement. "I guess I was wrong. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'll see myself out."

"Jaune." Pyrrha said, clasping his hand as he reached for the door. "That isn't what I meant."

"Hm?" Jaune glanced hesitantly over his shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn't mean that you did anything wrong. I was just worried, that's all."

"Worried? About what?"

"I thought that... After Ruby, and her mother, you would still be in a bad place. I really care about you, Jaune, and this-" Pyrrha swallowed, resolving to speak the words that had remained lodged in her throat for so long. "This, us, is something that I want. But I know that you can't be in entirely the right frame of mind right now. I wouldn't ask for this unless I knew that you felt the same way, that it was what you wanted to. And with everything that's happened, I'm not entirely sure that that's the case."

"Is that what you think this is?" Jaune asked, his hand gesturing between them. Pyrrha ears burnt, self-conscious over the implications of his words. Her gaze lowered again and she could only nod in silence.

Jaune moved towards her, slowly, his hands resting against her arms at either side. Pyrrha bit her lip, her head turning with a flicker of red hair. Persitant, Jaune lowered his face to hers, nudging his forehead affectionately against her chin, as if coaxing her to look up at him. Yet Pyrrha refused, her eyes remained fixed stubbornly to the floor.

"Pyrrha, please."

Despite her silence, her sudden, uncharacteristic aloofness, there was a fond smile lighting Jaune's features as he watched her. A gesture indicative of the faith he placed in her. Pyrrha relented, after a moment, her vibrant green eyes tracing the contours of Jaune's chest before resting to meet his own.

"I'd like to think you me know well enough to know that I wouldn't do something like this unless I meant it." He whispered.

Pyrrha could feel her heartrate pick up as Jaune slinked closer, his hand stopping to rest against her bicep. She became powerless to move when Jaune's lips hovered over her own, breath grazing against her as he spoke.

"But just in case you're not convinced."

His eyes closing, Jaune broke the last vestige of space that separated them, his mouth gently covering hers. This time she was able to revel in the sensation; to savour the soft pressure of Jaune's lips and the tiny flutter that simmered through her chest. She was enraptured in the moment, able to experience, and commit to memory, each minute movement of their lips against one anothers.

Despite the boldness he had shown initially, there was a still degree of apprehension in Jaune's touch. Apparently, much like her, he was self-conscious, not bolstered by the adrenaline that had flowed between them earlier. Still, he was gentle and sincere. It was with each reciprocation from Pyrrha that he grew steadily more confident in his exploration, hands cupping at her waist to pull her closer.

As they eventually parted Jaune looked warmly into her eyes, silence permeating between them. Though he had not spoken, he had said all that he needed to.

"Really?" Pyrrha whispered, after a moment, her disbelief apparent.

"Yeah," Jaune nodded simply. "Really."

"F- for how long?"

Jaune paused, unsure of how to answer. There had never been a particular moment that stood out to him.

"Honestly, I think I've always felt this way to some degree. It was just never something I could act on before. There was always this distance between us. But I could tell, once it was gone, once it was just you and me and I finally saw you, I would know for certain how I felt."

His hand rose to cup her cheek, their gaze holding.

"But, if you're worried at all, I don't mind taking things one step at a time." He said, his eyes lowered to their linked hands as his thumb absently etched patterns into the back of her palm. "I've waited years for this, Pyrrha. I'm sure holding out a little longer won't kill me."

Stepping forward, Pyrrha wrapped her arms around Jaune again.

"I think we've both waited long enough."

.

The site of the rally was an abandoned building on the outskirts of Mountain Glenn; a part of Vale normally deserted. With their growing reputation, there were very few venues left in the city that would allow the White Fang to host an event. Judging by the embled that been engraved into the side of the wall, Blake had a feeling they had resorted to claiming one as their own.

The numbers were much greater than she recalled, flooding from the entrance in waves. It was just as she had feared; they were still growing. Their latest attack and its subsequent media coverage must have drawn them even more attention. Any publicity was good. Even the pieces that slandered or desparaged them still helping to spread their cause.

It made Blake wonder how many people here genuinely believed in it. How many of them weren't just jumping ship out of fear, to avoid being labelled an enemy.

Standing in line, she couldn't help but feel conscious of her stance, her movement through the rallying crowd. She was afraid that someone might recognise her, or that even the slightest mistep would drawn unwanted attention to herself.

She kept her gaze level, drawn carefully to the new initiates waiting in front of her, as she willed herself to breath steadily. There was no reason to be worried. It had been a long time. Surely, no one would be able to pick her out of the entire crowd.

She would just have to call upon her old self as much as possible; the one who had felt completely at home at these rallies. The young woman who had followed the White Fang on missions, raiding cargo trains, despite knowing she was stepping into dangerous waters,that some of the might come back alive. Back then, her heart would never quiver with fear, no matter what faced her down. It had been steel.

With these memories fresh in her mind; the confidence and strength she derived from what she had already survivved; Blake felt as thoughg she would be ready to face down anything. Yet, as a hand grasped her from behind, roughly by the shoulder, Blake's confidence dissipated, her heart sinking in the back of her throat.

"Hey."

Drawing on instincts sharpened from years of exposure to the dangers outside of the kingdom, with fluid, succint movement, Blake grabbed the hand of the man restraining her, flipping them over her shoulder in one deft motion.

They collapsed against the concrete with a strained grunt, not having expected the attack or bracing themselves for impact. Their mask scattered to the floor, exposing a shock of blond hair and sharp, dark eyes.

"Urgh. Blake! What the hell was that?" Sun yelled as he sat up, holding his rib.

"Sun!" Blake's eyes widened, voice hissing through her teeth. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." He challenged, retrieving his mask from the ground.

"That's none of your concern."

"Oh, really." Sun drawled, standing back up to his feet. "Here I thought seeing someone I knew hanging outside of a terrorist group's hideout was a cause for concern. My mistake."

Blake glared at Sun. Though, before she could answer him, she beccame conscious of the gazes lingering in their direction. Their relatively heated exchange had already drawn the attention of by-standers, who whipsered to one another, suspicious.

The last thing she needed was for her cover to be blown.

She took Sun's hand and pulled him away from the entrance, moving back into the shadows. Blake stopped in the middle of a nearby alley before turning her gaze towards Sun. He flinched at the intensity of her glare; her eyes cutting through him.

"Were you following me?"

"Well, I..." Sun mumbled, looking away from her sheepishly.

"Sun!" Blake demanded, her tone sharp.

"I saw you leaving... with that." He explained, gesturing towards her mask. "I had a feeling I might find you here, and what you might be planning."

"I know you're upset about what happened to Ruby's mother, but going after the White Fang yourself- That's not the answer. It's suicide."

"You wouldn't understand. It's not just Ruby, there's more to it than that. A lot more. Besides, I'm not trying to fight them, I'm just... I just want to know what's going on."

"Fighting them, spying on them, regardless, do you really think the Fang's going to care when they find you?"

"I know what I'm getting myself into, Sun. Probably a lot better than you do."

"Hey. I grew up in Vacuo. I know how to handle myself."

"So I take it you're not leaving then?"

"Not unless you're coming with me, no."

"Okay, fine." Blake sighed. "I guess I don't have any other choice. Just know: if you're coming with me, I don't want you to get in my way, got it?"

"Yes ma'am." Sun smirked, saluting playfully. Blake rolled her eyes, moving towards the entrance of the club.

As they approached, they couldn't help but notice that though the bulk of the queue had dispersed, the door was now blocked, a White Fang member standing guard.

"Everything alright with you two?" The guard's low gravelly voice matched his build; gruff and intidimating.

Blake flinched, relying on the cover of her mask to not give away her expression. The man's stance and the way he folded his muscular, tattooed arms spoke volumes of his suspicion. Some of the other new recruits must have warned him about their earlier behaviour.

"Yeah, totally fine." Sun answered before she had the chance. "Just a misunderstanding."

Even from behind his mask, Blake could make out way the White Fang member's eyes lingered on them deliberately. He wasn't entirely convinced, but had nothing concrete against them. Just the word of a few unintiated members.

"The rally is about to start. It would be best if you made your way inside without causing any further disruption."

"We'll be sure to do that." Sun answered.

He stepped aside, begrudginly. Blake cursed, knowing that they weren't in the clear; he would be keeping an eye on them.

"Well, alright then." Sun winked, extending his arm out to her. "Lead the way!"

Blake rolled her eyes and moved around him, stepping into the main foyer. "Through here."

.

Pyrrha had always been told that she was good-looking; beautiful, even.

She had offered sponsorships and modelling deals, over the years, her face gracing the cover of magazines and different products. Yet, despite the praise that had been showered upon her, she had never truly felt as beautiful, as desired, as loved, as she did in this moment.

She was so content, so peaceful resting against Jaune's chest, surrounded by warmth of his arms and lulled by the steady beat of his heart. Together, they drifted in and out of sleep, lips brushing intermittently, fingers tracing lazy patterns into one another's skin.

She wasn't entirely sure how long they lay together like that. She could only remember being stirred by the soft vibrations of Jaune's voice.

"Mmm." He sighed contentedly, stretching. "I didn't realise how much time had passed. I should probably let Ren and Nora know where I am."

"Okay." Pyrrha answered absently, readjusting herself against his chest. Jaune looked down at her with a chuckle.

"Uh... Pyrrha? Do you mind?"

Pyrrha's eyes flickered open, remembering that she was still lying against him, trapping one of his arms beneath her.

"Oh. Right! I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologise." Jaune said, free to sit upright and fish his scroll out of his pocket. He sifted through his messages, eventually pulling one open with a sigh.

"I should probably head back. Nora and I did kind of promse we'd clean up after the party."

"Oh." Pyrrha answered, dissapointed lacing her voice.

It didn't go unnoticed by Jaune, who turned to her with a smile.

"I'm sorry, Pyrrha. You know, I wouldn't leave unless I had to."

"I know."

"Listen, if you're ever lonely. You're more than welcome to stay with us. Nora and Ren really seemed to take a liking to you."

Though, the idea of staying over with Jaune; specifically, of more time sleeping in each other's arms; did seem appealing. There was still something Pyrrha needed to make clear.

She thought that she had an idea. From the way he had held her and kissed her, just moments ago. She hoped. But, she wanted to know for certain.

"Jaune..." Pyrrha began, catching his hand before he rose to his feet. "Before you go, can you tell me..."

"What is it, Pyrrha?"

"Where does this leave us now? What exactly are we?"

For the second time Jaune did not answer, choosing not to hinder himself with words. He moved forward, capturing her lips with his own. Pyrrha's breath caught in her throat at the way his hand cupped her chin, the gentle adoration that lingered in his eyes as they gradually separated.

"I'll see you round, Pyrrha."


	9. Chapter 9

There was a small gathering held in Patch for Summer's funeral, a party consisting mainly of close family and friends. They congregated by the escarpment outside of their home, just as Taiyang had suggested.

Silently, Ruby stood across from her father and Uncle overlooking the cliff face; the final resting place for her mother. Her eyes were heavy, accompanied by a perceptible tightness in her chest, as the epitaph engraved into stone all but solidified her greatest fear.

Gazing upon her grave, it was if the news; the entire, horrific gravity of the situation finally became apparent for Ruby.

Her mother was gone and she was never coming back.

Even with the time she had had to heal, to try and process the loss, it still wasn't any easier for her to accept.

Ruby swallowed, the dry surface of her throat scratching as the procession continued. The quivering in her shoulders was stilled by the warmth of her father's hand as he held her. Her eyes carried upward, catching his face as he offered a soft, comforting smile. She tried weakly to return the gesture no matter how helpless it seemed.

The expression on Taiyang's face shifted, a tension coiling in his muscles as his attention was drawn away from the ceremony. Curious, Ruby turned, following her father's line of sight, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was looking at.

Among the throng of people surrounding them, however, it was difficult. She curled her toes, trying to stand as tall as possible.

"Qrow," Taiyang muttered lowly. "Can you keep an eye on the girls for a moment?"

"Of course, Tai."

The crowd dispersed for Taiyang as he moved away, allowing Ruby the chance to watch after him. He was approaching a woman standing outside of the party, away from anyone else. Her dark hair and blazing, red eyes were disarming and unfamiliar. Yet, there was a distinct, recognisable quality about her, in the shape of her face and eyes.

She looked almost exactly like Yang.

.

Ruby stood alone in the middle of the wake when her Uncle approached, a softness in his usually gruff expression.

"Hey there, kiddo."

"Uncle Qrow."

Ruby's eyes remained set upon the floor beneath her, not looking to her Uncle, not wanting to take acknowledge the merry celebration surrounding her. The fond chatter and soft laughter radiating in the background, was a sentiment she couldn't quite share.

She hadn't seen her father seen the ceremony had ended.

"Ah, listen Ruby... If you don't mind, there's someone here who wanted to have a word with you."

In all honesty, Ruby did mind.

The last thing she wanted was to hold conversation with a distant relative or family friend, watching over her with pity. Speaking soft, carefully chosen words as if she may shatter completely beneath the sound.

But she knew to turn them down would seem rude.

"Sure." She answered, still not looking up.

From the way Qrow's eyes narrowed, he did not seem convinced by her answer. Sighing, he stepped aside, allowing space for another man to approach.

"Go ahead, Oz."

The sound of an ornate, black cane clapping against the floor let Ruby know he was standing before her. Surprised, her eyes lifted to see a man with short, silver hair and dark spectacles shading his eyes.

"Ah, Miss Rose. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"You're…"

"Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy." The man's head dipped in greeting. "I understand you were to begin studying at my school this year."

"R-right. Well, I had planned to, but…" She trailed off.

"I see… I'm sorry to hear that, but I understand." Ozpin said, his tone solemn. "I must offer you my deepest condolences, I know that this can't have been easy for you."

Ruby toyed with the dark fabric of her sleeve at the uncomfortable shift in conversation. Noticing her unease, Ozpin continued,

"I knew your mother well, and worked with her on a number of occasions. She was a very admirable woman. I'm sure you're proud of her. The way she left us… It is truly indicative of the kind of person she was. I'm sure it's how she will always be remembered."

"I- I suppose you're right."

With the hint of a smile pulling at his lips, Ozpin's hand lowered to touch her shoulder. As he turned to leave, Ruby's voice rose of its own according.

"Professor," she began, Ozpin's gait slowing to a stop. "The reason I signed up for Beacon was because I want to be able follow in my mother's footsteps. I want to be able to stop something like this from happening again…"

Ozpin nodded, the warmth in his expression encouraging her continue.

"What I'm wondering is, well… It's not too late for me to re-enroll, is it?"

"Our doors are always open, Miss Rose."

.

It was a feeling that was still taking time for Pyrrha to get used to. The touch of Jaune's lips, warm and gentle, against her own.

Though, part of her was pleased. She didn't want to lose the sensation that overcame her each time they kissed.

It was a familiar warmth tied inherently to his presence; one she'd only felt in smaller, more sporadic waves before.

Because of their similar heights, Jaune had taken a liking to surprising her with quick, chaste kisses, needing only to turn his head slightly to reach her lips.

She might have been gazing vacantly into the distance, lost in thought and completely unaware he was even there; apparently the way she chewed at her lip made him powerless to resist. Sometimes she would catch his eyes lowering in the midst of conversation, his mouth quirking mischievously as those blue orbs traced the contours of her lips.

It would become increasingly difficult for her mind and her tongue to form words, heat rising to her cheeks.

Perhaps, they might even find themselves standing in the middle of an alleyway in downtown Vale, hopefully out of sight of any passing pedestrians. Jaune had pulled her aside as they were walking home, locking her tightly in his embrace and hotly seeking out her lips.

It surprised her how willing and ready he was to offer her such affection; a stark contrast to the awkward hesitance that permeated between them not long before. It was as though there had always existed a desire within him to share such intimacy, one that had surged forward the night they had confessed their feelings for one another.

Jaune wasn't normally so bold, or often the one to take initiative, needing at times to be coaxed in the right direction.

Perhaps that was part of what made each caress they shared so invigorating to Pyrrha. He didn't need any guidance. He knew her so well. Perhaps almost as well as she knew herself.

Only when their lungs strained with the need for oxygen did they separate, their gazes holding as they drew in rapid, ragged breaths. Jaune's fingers caught the long braid she had tied her hair into, having come loose from beneath her cap in the midst of their heated exchange.

"You know, it's going to take me awhile to get used to seeing you like this." He said, his fingers toying experimentally with the locks of hair.

"I don't understand, though. I thought you said you weren't as well known in Vale. Why do you need the disguise?"

"I- it's just a precaution." She said, as they stepped out from their hiding place, returning to the streets. "I know most people wouldn't expect to find me here. So even if someone thought that they recognised me, they would still have their doubts. Still, I don't want to be careless."

"Alright, I guess I can understand that." Jaune shrugged.

"Besides," she added, as their fingers laced together. "This way I can do this."

Jaune smiled, lifting his arm over her shoulder and pulling her against him.

It had been difficult for Pyrrha, living a significant portion of her life under the media's watchful eye.

As a teenager she hadn't harboured romantic feelings for anyone other than Jaune. Yet, if she had, she couldn't imagine she would have been able to find the nerves to act on them, knowing that she was scrutinised.

It was part of what made her so bashful and hesitant, even now.

She had been deprived the freedom to simply live her life, she had almost lost sense of how to let go and cast herself carelessly into the wind.

During her teenage years; a point of her life that is often shaped by making mistakes, learning from them and growing; Pyrrha had never had the chance to step out of line and fail.

Now the mere thought of it terrified her.

"You know, it's actually kind of cool hiding out like this. Like we're undercover or something." Jaune chuckled. "Not that anyone would want to take a picture of me. I'm way too boring."

Pyrrha glanced downward, breath wisping from her lips in a soft exhale. It was sad, in a way. In how their lives and their experiences differed so greatly, yet they both seemed to long for what the other had. As though neither could bring them happiness. As though there would always be a part of them that sought out and focused on the negative.

On what was missing, rather than what was there.

Jaune looked into her world with awe and excitement, his wide-eyed, naivety helping to remind her of the good fortune that a life in the public eye had afforded her.

"You're right." Pyrrha answered, smiling wistfully. "I suppose when you put it that way, it is rather exciting."

.

Weiss looked up from her scroll with a frustrated sigh, her gaze carried over the bare, white walls surrounding her. She hadn't heard from her father since she'd arrived in Vale. Not a single call or voicemail to even check if she had arrived safely.

A deliberate move on his part, she assumed. The act rang of passive-aggressive manipulation, perhaps a way of punishing her for all the times she had screened his calls. Though, what her father didn't seem to understand was that Weiss was genuinely worried, still in the dark as to what was happening with the White Fang.

Surely he could put his ego aside in order for her find peace of mind?

It would be nice to hear how things were developing back at home. She was growing tired of having to learn how her family was faring, second hand, through broadcasts shown on the news.

Still, at least this time he hadn't cut off her allowance.

Setting her scroll down, Weiss slumped back against the couch; her posture unbecoming of an heiress to the Schnee Dynasty.

Pyrrha had gone out for the day, leaving her trapped alone, in this drab, empty apartment. Weiss supposed she could go outside but didn't feel particularly comfortable wandering around an unfamiliar city. She knew the White Fang had members stationed out in Vale and didn't want to risk being recognised.

Standing up, Weiss moved to the collect the small pile of mail by the front door, one that had arrived for her earlier in the day. She had hoped that perhaps looking through it might be able to shed some light on the issue. She hadn't had a chance to update her address yet and had asked for Cline to send it through.

Sifting through the small stack of letters, Weiss froze when she saw the picture adorning the front of the local Mistrali times. She had been tempted to skip over it, initially, not at all interested in the fluffy, gossip piece, until she noticed the young woman in the picture.

She almost hadn't recognised her, from the way her hair was tied back and tucked away beneath a dark cap, to the casual, loose-fitting clothes, she had done quite well in hiding herself. It was so pedestrian, completely unlike the image normally presented of her in the public eye, that any attention she may have garnered was dulled. Anyone familiar with her likely would have brushed of the resemblance as just that. Resemblance alone.

Still, it seemed the disguise hadn't been enough to fool one journalist.

One person, actively seeking her out; if the way the shot was perfectly framed and in focus indicated anything. They must have been staking her out. Waiting for the perfect moment to act.

That, in itself, was suspicious. Had they known that she was here, in Beacon? As far as the public were concerned, her career had been put on a temporary hiatus. The project she had taken on with the Schnee Dust Company was meant to have been kept under wraps.

It wasn't unusual for her picture to grace the front cover of a magazine alongside speculation about her private life. But this article was different.

It wasn't rooted in baseless rumour or speculation.

The photograph was concrete and damning.

Pyrrha, leaving their apartment, hand-in-hand with another man.


End file.
